Kyonae's Secret
by Kyonae Falcona
Summary: Chapter 21 finally finished! The big battle will come next chapter, but in this one...KYONAE'S SECRET IS REVEALED!!! When an evil spirit searching for her mistress is reborn, Kyonae is forced to tell the story...
1. Default Chapter

Kyonae's Secret  
  
Disclaimer: Damn all disclaimers everywhere! If disclaimers didn't exist, everyone would think that the Final Fantasy 8 characters belong to me! *sighs dreamily* But disclaimers do exist, dammit, and everyone knows that FF8 belongs to Squaresoft. Only Kyonae belongs to me, and everyone else you don't recognize.  
A/N: This starts out as a sweet, sad, and maybe a little scary story about a girl who attended Trabia Garden before it was blown up, and how she searches for two people: the person who almost took her life away, and the person who saved it. But don't worry. Once Zell and his passion for hot dogs kick in, it will be funny, I promise. I mean it. Stop looking at me like I'm crazy or something. Just read the dammed thing!*sweatdrop anime style*  
  
Chapter One: The Search  
  
Kyonae Falcona sat in a large, old oak tree, watching the sunset. Tomorrow she would travel to Balamb Garden, but right now she would enjoy the solitude and peace while she could, if she could...  
She was 18 years old, dark brown hair and pale gray blue eyes, illuminated by her pale skin. She wore skintight black pants, a long weather-beaten white shirt, shinhigh boots so she could tread through water, and black knuckle gloves. She owned a gunblade, which stayed at her side always for now on...  
Suddenly she was having difficulty breathing. She slammed back against the tree trunk, her eyes wild and her mind clouding.  
No, she pleaded with her mind. Not again, I don't want to see it again...  
Kyonae had gone to Trabia Garden, and had received all her training there, all her friends had gone there, her life was in Trabia. And her mind had a painful, taunting method of reminding her what had happened there...  
One day, something told Kyonae that she should leave Trabia for the woods. As soon as she had stepped out of the front gate, Trabia burst into flames, hit by four Galbadian missiles...  
She ran, but was struck down by flying debris...she couldn't move, couldn't see, couldn't breathe...only feel the blazing heat of the flames, the unbearable weight of debris crushing her, and hear her friends and fellow classmates screaming and dying at the same time...she closed her eyes and squeezed them tightly together, hoping it was only a sick, twisted nightmare...but it wasn't...not at all.  
When Kyonae awoke a few days afterward, pain and cold numbed her. Every bone in her body was broken; shock had erased every happy memory she had ever had. Snow had fallen thickly while she had slept, blanketing the horrible scene with innocent whiteness. Trabia had turned into a graveyard. Tombstones were scattered here and there, the jackets and weapons and personal items of her friends draped upon them. She had woken where she had been struck down, under a large piece of wall or something, covered in snow. She tasted blood in her mouth, and saw its terrible redness staining the snow around her head. Shell-shocked survivors stumbled about, seeming oblivious to their surroundings. One man, bruised and bleeding, actually came up to her, not noticing her state. "Excuse me... could you tell me where the cafeteria is? I seem to have lost my way..."  
"Help me...please help me..." she rasped.  
"You don't know where it is either? Oh, well..." the man limped away, leaving her there.  
Kyonae didn't bother trying to call him back. She looked up at the snow-riddled sky. Death wasn't far now...it couldn't be as bad as people made it seem...  
Suddenly she heard footsteps at least ten feet away, and voices, two of them...  
"I can't believe this, Squall... Hyne, look at this place! Destroyed, completely gone..." one voice murmured.  
"I know. All because of Seifer," the other whispered darkly.  
Seifer...  
"I'm tellin' ya, when I meet face to face with that Almasy fellah, I'll...BAM! BAM!"  
Seifer...Almasy...Seifer Almasy...  
"Keep your thoughts to yourself for a while. We're supposed to be looking for survivors, not plotting revenge."  
"I know, I know..." More footsteps occurred. "Hey, look, Squall! Here's a guy!"  
Silence for a few moments... "Dead," Squall said gravely. "I don't think we're going to find anymore survivors. We should just start looking for bodies."  
Kyonae made as much noise as she could, which wasn't much. "Help...don't leave me... please...I don't want to die..."  
It caught their attention, and she heard them running toward her. "Oh, good sweet Hyne..." a man in the cowboy hat and tan trenchcoat moaned, looking slightly squeamish as he came forward. He tried to lift the heavy piece of wall from off of her. "Squall, help me!" he cried. Squall, a man in a leather jacket, came up and together they lifted the wall, and while he held it up, the other man pulled her out from under it. Kyonae felt an uncomfortable sense of release; she felt her maimed body bleed freely, and it became, if possible, harder to breathe. She gasped desperately for air, while crying out in pain and renewed fear for her life. " I don't want to die, please don't let me die, I don't want to..."   
"Don't worry, miss," the cowboy said assuringly, taking his coat off and spreading it over her and he knelt down beside her. "I'm a...SeeD member from Balamb. I'm here to help. You're not gonna die."  
"SeeD...Balamb...? Wha-"  
Squall rose a pistol in the air and shot off a green flare, signaling for help. The noise frightened Kyonae terribly and made her tremble. The cowboy held her frozen hand in his warm one, looking at her dearly with his striking violet eyes. "Don't be afraid. I know this looks like hell, it's a damn good resemblance. But you're gonna make it, I just know it. Don't give up on us."  
A wave of fatigue washed over Kyonae, her vision growing foggy. "You're... SeeD...from Balamb Garden...?" she whispered.  
"Yeah..." he whispered back, his grip tightening greatly on her hand. "That's right..."  
Kyonae tried to smile, but then everything started going dark...  
  
Kyonae snapped out of her trance, her head drooped limply in her lap, cold sweat running down her face. The sun had set, and she was shrouded in darkness. She lay back against the tree trunk, shaking. Sometimes the memory came rushing back in bits and pieces, sometimes only the sounds, or just pictures, like a badly tuned television. But never had it come back so clearly, so graphic, so audible...what did it mean?  
For many months she had been bed ridden because of her injuries, and many, many panic attacks. But once she was healthy enough to leave the hospital, she fled to the woods, traveling, searching for that man. She had never gotten a chance to thank him, for without him she surely would have died...he had given her back her will to live...  
Then she remembered. He said he was from Balamb! Of course! What better place was there to look for him but there? She needed to finish her SeeD training anyway; she was still only a candidate.  
But also...Kyonae searched for one other, the man who had caused her pain, who had indirectly murdered all of whom she loved and cherished as her friends. She knew he couldn't have possibly launched the missiles, but from what he had caused he might as well have pushed the button himself...  
Yes, he would get his comeuppance, that Seifer Almasy...  
She closed her eyes and forced herself to sleep. Tomorrow she would reunite with the stranger who saved her... and hopefully, come face to face with her enemy.  
  
  
(That's it for now! I'm not putting up Chapter 2 until I get at least one review! Come on, guys, it's not that horrible. Is it? *bites lip nervously* No flames please. I'm very sensitive! Suggestions about what to put in the story are always welcome! Thanx! :):):)  
  



	2. Chapter Two: Killing You

A/N: Here it is, chapter two of Kyonae's Secret ****

A/N: Here it is, chapter two of Kyonae's Secret. I was immensely pleased today when I found I had gotten my first review EVER! A big thank you goes out to the person who gave that review. Thanx, Silver Blade! Everyone else, I urge you to read not only this but Silver Blade's stuff as well. He deserves it! Anyway, I hope you like this chapter. Kyonae goes to Balamb, and on the very first night, she meets one of the people she's searching for, and doesn't even realize it…so stop listening to me, dammit, and read the damn fic! *hangs head shamefully* Sorry. It's late…

Chapter Two: Killing You

Kyonae stepped into the Training Center, where Headmaster Cid told her that the class she was to be in was occurring there.

"Welcome to Garden, Miss Falcona; it never hurts to have an extra gunblade specialist handy, I must say. That is, if you are strong enough to become a SeeD."

"Don't worry, sir," Kyonae had said, giving him her application. "I'm also a specialist in staying alive."

"Oh, that was a good one!" Cid had laughed, waving her from the office. "Well, good luck, Falcona…"

As she had left, he read the part where it said what Garden she had transferred from, and stopped laughing. "Trabia? Good lord…"

She picked out the instructor instantly; a tall, blonde woman with cheery blue eyes that calmed Kyonae's instinctive 'worried about what a new teacher's gonna be like' jitters. She smiled as she came near. "Hi. You're the new student, right? Kyonae Falcona, isn't it?"

"Yes, Instructor…?"

"Quistis. Quistis Trepe. You can call me Quistis, though. I'm only temporary. Now, let's see, you need a training partner…oh, there he is…his name's-oh! Gordon! Harold! You train with your weapons, not with your fists! This is NOT martial arts class!" Quistis became distracted with a pair of students who had forgotten their weapons and wrestling with each other on the ground. Kyonae shrugged and walked over to her partner.

He was a handsome young man, fine blond hair and emerald green eyes, between them a long thin scar. He wore a silver gray trenchcoat, a blue shirt, black pants and black gloves. He fingered his gunblade hungrily, as if longing to use it on someone, a sulky look on his face. He didn't even notice as she tapped him on the shoulder, lost in his own thoughts. 

"Hello?"

He blinked himself out of his daydreams, and looked up at her, first with sulkiness, then with interest, looking down then up again. "Hello," he answered musingly.

"The instructor told me I was to train with you. Is that okay?"

"Of course it is," he said smoothly, standing up. "I'll be sure to take it easy on you. Don't want to scar your pretty face." To make example, he slid his index finger down his own scar.

Kyonae kept her thoughts to herself. Was he hitting on her, or threatening her? It didn't matter actually. So, he thought she was a pushover, did he? How very wrong he was…

The battle was on. The man lunged at her with full force, but with one swipe of her gunblade he was thrown away. His eyes widened in slight surprise, as he had to duck from her ravenous blow that nearly slit his throat. Momentarily he glanced down, watching a few of his hairs flutter to the floor. He lunged back, and the gunblades set off sparks as they ground against one another. 

Kyonae felt a strange, unwelcome buzzing in her brain as they made eye contact for those few seconds; then she swung around and lunged again, and again, and again…sparks were flying everywhere, hazing her vision. There was a sudden urging voice in the back of her head, going off like a siren…

_Kill him…kill him now…_

Kyonae tried to ignore it as the man swiped at her legs, and she jumped up, the blade sweeping under her. Using this moment of suspension, the man knocked the gunblade out of her hand…

_Kill him, Kyonae…Kill him now…_

(No,) Kyonae screamed silently as she was thrown to the ground, her arm bleeding freely. Suddenly she found it hard to breathe, like she was underwater, her mind was fogging…

(_No, not now, not here, anywhere but here,) _she pleaded, the man coming near, raising his gunblade. She found she couldn't fight both at the same time: the urge to relive the past and the urge to kill. She had to make a choice. Kyonae could at least stop herself from killing the man, but once she went into a trance, she wouldn't be able to stop it… and the man may kill her by accident…

Kyonae focused on that side of her mind, and her breathing eased, and focus became clear once more. The nagging voice said one final time:

_Kill him now, Kyonae._

"YYYYEEESSSS!!!" she screamed aloud, for all of Garden to hear. The desire to kill washed over her, and such a look of wildness crossed her face that it caught her opponent off guard. She leapt up onto her feet, grabbing her gunblade that lay on the ground. She attacked with such force and velocity he couldn't afford to blink for half a second. Then he swept him off his feet with the gun part of her blade, and kicked him in the stomach so he flew onto the hard dirt. Other students were now ceasing to fight, watching Kyonae get the best of their classmate.

He staggered to his feet, looking at her like she was nuts. "Are you fucking crazy? What the hell are you trying to do!?" 

She kicked him down again, and put her foot down on his chest, knocking his gunblade from his hand and pressing her own gunblade slightly against the blood artery on his neck.

_That's enough, Kyonae, stop! _ The voice pleaded. 

She seemed to wake up from her murderous dream, and realized what she was doing in a clearer sense of mind. The man lay on the ground, his breathing uneven, and sweat running down his forehead, scared out of his right mind…

"Oh, Hyne…" she whispered, backing away, dropping her gunblade. 

"Kyonae!"

She turned to see Quistis, looking shocked. "What in Hyne's name are you doing? You're supposed to train, not try to kill your…_Seifer, no!!!!!"_

Something Kyonae's mind clicked. (_Seifer…Seifer Almasy…)_

She swung around just as he cried "FIRE!" exposing his palm to her face. He grinned sinisterly as a large ball of fire came racing at her.

Kyonae instinctively held out her right palm in the same way. "BLIZZAGA!" She screamed, and sent an even larger ball of ice hurtling into the relatively meager fireball and striking Seifer with great force and pinning him to the ground under a mound of ice. She lunged at him, but those two students Gordon and Harold held her back successfully.

"So, you're Seifer Almasy, huh?!" she whispered to him, and strangely he could hear her over the surprised shouts of the class, through the icy pain of her Blizzaga spell.

"What do you care…" he groaned, trying to free himself from the tremendous weight of ice.

Her eyes gleamed with such quiet rage it scared Seifer. "I will enjoy killing you, Seifer Almasy. I will take pleasure in watching you die when the time comes. Remember me, Seifer Almasy. You better watch your back."

With that she was dragged away, while Fujiin and Raijiin helped him to his feet. "WHAT HAPPENED?" Fujiin asked.

"Yeah, Seifer, what happened, ya know? Did she hurt ya? Did she beat ya up, ya know?"

Seifer tried to look cool in front of friends, and smoothed his hair back. "Are you kidding? She barely scratched me. Just caught me off my guard is all. Let's go."

"RIGHT." Fujiin ran out of the Training Center.

"All right, ya know!" Raijiin followed her.

Seifer watched as they ran past the crowd keeping Kyonae subdued as they took her away. She gave him a piercing look, holding her bloody arm tightly.

Once they were all out the door, Seifer allowed himself to shiver. He still felt immensely cold, and it wasn't because of Blizzaga

A/N: Well, that's all for chapter 2! So, what d'ya think? Please tell me! *gets down on both knees* Puh-leeassse! This time, I'm not putting up Ch.3 until I get 3 more reviews. Oh, and if anyone was wondering what the hell happened to Kyonae up there, the truth is that she got her Limit Break(like Booya, Pulse Ammo, etc.), Instant Kill. Her Limit Break is special because she decides out of the goodness of her heart whether to kill her opponent with Instant Kill(otherwise, they just get hurt very, very BADLY! Poor Seifer).

R/R, and no flames please. Suggestions on what should happen in future chapters always welcome. I'll try to cram them in! Thanx! J J J 


	3. Chapter Three: Remember Me?

****

A/N: Chapter Three is up! Man am I bored, that's why I'ma writin' this fic! *head bangs down on computer desk* I should really be doin' my art research project right now...it's due tomorrow...*sweatdrop* But what the hell? On with the show! Kyonae meets the second person she searches for, but this time she knows it! (Everyone who loves Irvine please begin screaming now). ? 

Chapter Three: Remember Me?

Kyonae sat in discipline, amongst the other juvenile delinquents that caused trouble in the Garden. She had had a very brief discussion with Headmaster Cid and Instructor Trepe.

"I must say, Falcona, I'm very disappointed in you," he had said. "Your first day, and you nearly killed a fellow student..."

"There's nothing fellow about him," Kyonae had muttered, but she was ignored.

"You say she attacked him, Trepe? With her gunblade?"

"Yes, sir. Then she used a Blizzaga spell on him. There were no provocations whatsoever."

"Well, Falcona, I'm afraid you'll be punished for this act. Think of this next time you want to combine trifle matters with your training."

"Trifle matters!?" Kyonae's anger surged greatly; she could almost feel the steam coming from her ears...

The headmaster had flinched as if he felt he was in danger of being attacked. Quistis put a hand on Kyonae's shoulder in an attempt to calm her down. It did very little. "Come, Kyonae. I have to take you to the disciplinary room."

Outside in the hall, Quistis tried to apologize. "I'm sorry your first day had to be like this, Kyonae. But you could have hurt Seifer badly."

"Less than he deserves."

"Why though? It seemed like an unprovoked attack, but you seem like you have a large grudge on him. Have you two met elsewhere?"

"...I guess you could say that."

"Well in any case, what you did was wrong, and you'll have to pay the consequence. I suggest you start by forgiving Seifer for what ever he did to you. Let me guess. Old girlfriend?"

Kyonae avoided Quistis' glance, mumbling darkly, "Try old murder victim." She had tried to say it so she wouldn't hear, but Quistis caught it anyway. 

"What..."

"Listen," Kyonae had whispered, regretting she had said anything at all. She began to feel pressured. "It's none of your business, Instructor. Don't get involved in things you don't understand." They stopped at the disciplinary room door. "But if you want to know the truth straight out, right now...I have vowed to kill Seifer Almasy."

She had left Quistis in the hall, and didn't feel her presence leave for several moments.

And now here she was.

Kyonae didn't care, of course. It had been worth it. Now Seifer knew to watch his back, not that it would help him anyway. It was dark outside now, and she was venting her anger by drawing in her sketchpad; she had found it was a good way to calm down. She was drawing a picture of a soaring falcon when a knuckle gloved hand laid over her eyes, and a voice whispered in her ear:

"Guess who, beautiful?"

Kyonae sighed. She couldn't believe the perverts she was stuck with in the discipline room. "George, leave me alone, you asshole-"

The feeling of a cold gun barrel against her neck stopped her short. "Let's go," the voice whispered harshly, pulling her up out of her seat. She went without a sound. Her heart was racing fearfully. Why wasn't anyone helping her, or making any sound? Were they already dead? Where was he taking her? She could've sworn she heard stifled giggling...

She was led out into the hall, the hand still over her eyes. Then the voice came again, but this time, it was warm and jovial as the gun was moved away from her neck. "Hi there, beautiful. I'm a SeeD from Balamb. Need to be rescued?"

Kyonae gasped half with shock and half with sudden happiness. The hand removed itself from her eyes, and she turned to be face to face with her savior. Overcome, she could barely speak. "It- it's you!"

Indeed it was. Seeing him clearly for the first time, she found him much more handsome than she remembered. He had long wavy brown hair drawn back in a tie, fair skin, and the same deep, amethyst violet eyes.

He meanwhile, was looking at her the same way. "You look a lot different without that bloody, help-me-I'm-dying look. Better too. A lot better." He said it in a nice, charming way; his voice melted her heart to mush.

Without thinking, Kyonae wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly, so tightly she heard him gasping for air, but laughing at the same time, hugging her back. For moments it felt as if they were old friends reuniting. But then Kyonae remembered something...

"I don't even know your name," she said, pulling away, a little embarrassed.

" Dear sweet Hyne, you're right! Where the heck are my manners? The name's Kinneas. Irvine Kinneas. But you, beautiful, can call me Irvine. Quistis sent me to come get you 'cause your time behind bars was up."

Kyonae chuckled softly. " My name is Kyonae Falcona. But you can just call me Kyonae, because 'beautiful' doesn't really fit with me."

"Oh, sure it does, Beautiful," Irvine grinned boyishly. "So, what-"

Suddenly a man wearing knee length baggy blue pants and a blue shirt, knuckle gloves, with spiked up blonde hair, sparkling blue eyes and a long tattoo, down the left side of his face came running down the hall, an ecstatic look on his face. "IRVINE!!! COME QUICK!!! THE CAFETERIA GOT A NEW ORDER OF HOT DOGS!!! BRING YOUR GIRLFRIEND IF YOU GOTTA, BUT HURRY MAN!!!" he screamed, flailing his arms wildly as he shot down the corridor like a runaway mental patient.

Kyonae rose a thin brown eyebrow in curiosity at the man as he passed, turning slightly red at the term 'girlfriend'. Who the hell...

"That's Zell, don't worry about him. He's kind of a nutball for hot dogs and a little weird in general, but he's okay. Say, wanna go down to the cafeteria for some hot dogs before they close up for the night? My treat."

Kyonae smiled widely, happily, something she hadn't done in a long time. "Sure. That'd be great...Irvine." She followed him down the hall arm in arm.

Meanwhile, Seifer was watching in the shadows, an evil grin on his face...

******

In the cafeteria, Kyonae watched in strange horror as she watched Zell cram three hot dogs in his mouth at once, swallow once, and cram in more. He had ordered at least twenty of them. She hadn't even touched her one hot dog yet. He turned to her, crumbs flying from his mouth as he spoke. "Whasha madder, Shyonae? Are ya shick?"

"No...not really."

"Con Ah hov zat if ya don' won itsh?"

Feeling suddenly not hungry and a little nauseous, she silently shoved the hot dog across the table to him.

"Shay, tanks! Ya know, yer arl ight fer ah noo grrlsh," Zell complimented in his full mouth language, shoving the hotdog in his mouth with Hyne knows how many others, and started stuffing his face again.

Kyonae leaned over to Irvine. "Is that-normal?" she asked in a quiet voice.

"Oh, sure. In fact, this is below norm. You should see it when it gets really weird. He usually ends up choking, though. Hey look, here come the guys! Hey! Over here, guys!"

Four people came to the table. There was one woman with curly brown hair and almond eyes in a yellow skirt, another with long black hair and dark eyes, Instructor Quistis herself, and a quiet looking man with dark brown hair, pale skin and along thin scar down the middle of his face like Seifer's, only at an opposite angle. He wore a leather jacket and a chain with a metal shape of a lion's head. She remembered him...

"Hey, Squall, look who I found today!" Irvine said as Squall sat down. "It 's the girl we rescued from Trabia. Her name's Kyonae."

Squall shook her hand with his gloved one, a faint tint of uncertainty looming in his eyes. Kyonae felt it too. She couldn't help but feel they'd met somewhere else besides Trabia..."Pleased to meet you, Kyonae," he said.

The brunette squealed happily, jumping up and down. "HEEEEYYY!!!! Tee-hee! I remember you! You're the one that was always so quiet, right? Remember me? Selphie Tilmitt?"

Kyonae shuddered slightly, Selphie's high-pitched voice hurting her ears. "Yes. I remember you. I'm glad to see you again...(alive,)" she added to herself. Actually, she really was happy to see Selphie, though a year ago she would have run from her. It was relieving to find someone that went to Trabia who wasn't dead or insane. She allowed herself a small smile as they all sat down. 

"My name's Rinoa," the raven haired one said. "Don't mind Squally here, he's a real stiff. Stop being so quiet, Squall!" she laughed, kissing Squall on the cheek without embarrassment. However, the silent young man blushed deep red, a pleading look on his face as if he didn't think this were the right time or place for this. Kyonae spoke up.

"What's wrong with being quiet? The best friend you can make is someone who is quiet. They may not talk much, but they listen."

"Very wise, Kyonae," Quistis said, though a hint of guilt was in her voice. She still seemed to be feeling sorry about the reprimand.

"Thank you, Quistis," she answered pleasantly, which seemed to lighten Quistis' mood.

"Sooo...how did you feel about Trabia? Was it scary? Wasn't it frightening?" Selphie asked eagerly.

**Kyonae paused, lowering her eyes. She hadn't expected that, especially from Selphie. She sensed Irvine giving her a scolding look.**

"KYONAE?"

**She looked up to see a silver haired woman with an eyepatch. She had seen her and another guy talking with Seifer before. Her name was Fujiin, she thought.**

**"Yes?"**

**The other guy ran in after her before she could speak. "Yo, Kyonae! Seifer wants to see ya, ya know?"**

**Fujiin, mad at being interrupted, kicked him in the shin. "RAIJIIN!"**

"Owowowowow…" Raijiin groaned, holding his leg.

Fujiin turned back to Kyonae, feeling good about causing Raijiin so much pain. "SEIFER. TRAINING CENTER. NOW. RAGE!"

Kyonae rose from her seat, everyone else starting to rise too. "Mm… maybe we should come too…"

She shook her head. "No. I'll go alone. It was nice meeting you all." She left with Raijiin and Fujiin. 

**Squall watched her go. He didn't trust Seifer at all, and never would trust him. **

He drew his Lionheart. "Let's go…"

That's it for Ch.3! Please read and review, and puh-lease tell me what you want in this story, and I'll try to put it in!(pairings, adventures, etc.) Thanx so much! Ch.4 will be up soon! J 


	4. Chapter Four: Anytime, Anyplace

A/N: I don't know how you're gonna like Chapter Four, I'm experiencing a small case of writer's block

A/N: I don't know how you're gonna like Chapter Four, I'm experiencing a small case of writer's block. I urge all readers to help me! Tell me what you want! I'm not a mind reader (that'd be SOOO cool though!), so you'll have to tell me. I ask mainly for pairing suggestions, even yaoi if need be. Tell me what you want to have happen in the story and I'll cram it in. Anyway, Kyonae meets Seifer at the Training Center…read on…even I don't know what's going to happen…(Seifer's POV this time)

Chapter Four: Anytime, Anyplace

The Training Center was dim in light, but Seifer could still see pretty clearly as he waited silently behind a tree. He had been taken by complete surprise today. Seifer had never seen a girl with a gunblade before…he had never seen anyone fight like Kyonae had…it was frightening.

Soon enough Seifer heard the doors open automatically with a whirring sound, heard the soft sound of her boots hitting the hard dirt floor cautiously, and then finally saw her slender figure walk out into the clearing. Fujiin and Raijiin, following his orders, had stayed outside. 

Kyonae didn't see him, her icy gray blue eyes darting around warily. He remained hidden, pausing a moment to just look at her. She was actually very beautiful, standing there in the pale moonlight…too bad she wanted to kill him… 

"I know you're in here, Seifer Almasy," she called out into the dark space. "I can sense you…" she added quietly.

Seifer noticed the way she said the last sentence. What was that tone in her voice? Uncertainty? Maybe fear? Was she actually scared of him, or just the fact that she didn't know where he was? And what did she mean, 'sensed'? He finally spoke up.

"So you came, Kyonae."

To his delight he got the response he was expecting: Kyonae drew her gunblade swiftly, as if it had just appeared in her hand. She swung around, trying to find the location of his voice. The sound echoed through the Center and sounded like he was coming from all over. "Where are you?" she demanded. "Show yourself!"

"Sharp looking gunblade you got there. What model is it?"

"Where are you, Seifer Almasy?" she repeated.

"I'm not answering your question until you answer mine," he taunted playfully.

"Dammit, Seifer-!" Kyonae swore under her breath, as if she didn't enjoy the little game he was playing. That was the idea. She sighed. "It's a Talon."

"Really? Interesting. I have a Hyperion myself. And Squall's got a-"

"Lionheart, I know," she said impatiently, clenching the handle of her weapon tightly in her fists. "Now show yourself, or I'll-"

"You'll what?" Seifer laughed, the darkness hiding the smirk on his face. "Oh well. Fair's fair, I guess. Here I am."

He stepped out into the clearing. Kyonae's eyes slitted until all he could see were blue gray. "Skip the small talk, Almasy-what do you want?"

" Please, Kyonae…I'm hurt. I merely wanted to talk. Or do you want to kill me now?" Seifer added, stretching out his arms in a gesture for Kyonae to stab him clean through. She remained silent, unconvinced. He shrugged and laid his Hyperion against the fence, backing away. "There. You're armed, I'm not. Now can we talk?"

Kyonae looked at him through slitted eyes for a few more moments, then, without taking her gaze off him, walked over and set her Talon alongside the Hyperion. "I'm breaking curfew."

"That's fine. I'm head of the discipline committee, so I'll just say I was reprimanding you. Come on."

Kyonae followed him, staying at his side. She didn't seem to trust him enough to walk ahead of him, and she didn't want to make him suspicious by staying behind him. She never took her eyes off him. 

Seifer led her into the Secret Area, which was unusually empty, devoid of the usual couples whispering intently to each other. He leaned on the railing, breathing the fresh air. "The moon's bright tonight, huh?"

"Hm." She nodded curtly, and though she was facing the moon, her eyes were looking through their corners at him.

"What? What the hell is your problem? Why do you keep staring at me?" he snapped. Her stare was becoming very tense, like she was waiting for him to explode or something.

"I don't trust you," she said simply, as if this explained everything.

"What the fuck-why the hell not? Why the hell don't you trust me? Why do you want to kill me? What'd I ever do to you? I've never even seen you before!"

"You really don't know, do you?" Kyonae asked, anger rising in her crisp voice. 

"No! Why don't you fuckin' tell me already, so I know what you're so pissed at me about?!" he shot back.

"Fine." She took a deep breath. "Do the words 'Trabia' and 'Sorceress' ring a bell?"

Seifer stared at her wide-eyed for a few moments, then contorted his expressionless face into one of frustration and rage. "OH FUCK! Not you too!"

"Yes, _especially_ me too," Kyonae shouted, her temper all but through the roof. "My life was ruined because of you! And one day, Seifer Almasy, you're gonna get yours!!! It could be anytime, and anyplace, but you're gonna get—"

Suddenly, her eyes bulged, as if she were exceptionally angry, but then her face showed nothing but fear and pain, and she dropped to her knees and began making a strange choking sound, shaking as convulsively as a leaf. 

"Kyonae, what the hell are you doing? Kyonae? Are you all right? Dammit, what's wrong with you?"

He tried to help her up, but she pushed away from him, one hand clasped over her throat, still shaking. "L-l-leave me alone!!!" she choked. "Don't come near me!!!" 

With that, she staggered off like a wounded deer, leaving Seifer standing there, stupefied. What had _that_ been about? Was Kyonae having a seizure or something? Maybe he should go help her..?

Nah, he thought resignedly, looking at the moon. Kyonae would be all right. It was probably just an act to get away from him. It was just a really good act.

Wasn't it?

****(Kyonae's POV)

The world was spinning before her eyes in a green-brown haze as the trees mixed into the ground. She couldn't breathe at all. She was starting to feel the heat of the flames, and the screaming was ringing in her ears again…

She hit the cold ground and knew no more.

A/N: That's it for Ch.4! I know, not much happened in this one…but Ch.5 will be loads better, I swear! Please R/R!!! J 


	5. Chapter Five:A Talk with Squall

A/N: Ch

A/N: Ch.4 really sucked, I know. But believe me-this will be better. Maybe longer. But hey, if you want, check out by new post up, Never in My Darkest Days. It's a poem about Seifer. Oh, and I want to thank my latest reviewer Blueberry. Everybody must read her stuff, because it's really good. Now, last chapter, Kyonae went into one of her memory trips in front of Seifer, ran off, and blacked out. She wakes up the next morning in the infirmary…

Chapter Five: A Talk with Squall

Kyonae awoke to the morning light, but did not open her eyes, but let the golden rays penetrate her eyelids. Where was she? The last thing she remembered was being in the Training Center, screaming at Seifer, then everything became blurred and confusing, even frightening after that…

She felt fine now, no trouble breathing, no fogging of the senses, no screaming, no flames...nothing. But the lack of these terrors was replaced by worry. Had anyone seen her in that state of mind? Had she made it back to her dorm on her own? So many questions filled her mind she wanted to scream. Wanting nothing more than to be in her own bed, her eyes fluttered open and squinted into the morning sunlight.

"Oh, no…"she moaned softly. Her wishing had been in vain. She was in a hospital-looking place, on a white hospital-looking bed, and a stout brown haired woman was telling someone off at the door…

"For the last time, no! She will be fine! You are not to disturb the poor girl while she's trying to sleep! I will call you when she wakes up!"

"Wha…who are you?" asked Kyonae groggily.

The woman turned around, saw her sitting up, and only seemed to become angrier. "Now look what you've done! You've gone and woken her up!"

"Great!" Zell's voice sounded loudly from the hallway. "Can we go see her then?"

"Oh…" she looked desperately over to Kyonae, who remained silent. "Fine! But if you do anything to get her worked up, Dincht, I'll toss you out!"

"…Then maybe I should just go in, and have Zell stay out here," Squall's voice offered quietly.

"That's a good idea. She'll be happy to see you, I'm sure."

"What?! Aw, come on, man! Why can't I-"

"Hey, Zell, hold that thought. Smell that? I think it's hot dogs cooking, I can't be sure…"

Zell was gone.

"Very clever, Squall. That got him running. Come on in."

The door whirred open and Squall walked in, carrying her Talon carefully in his hands. They both approached her bed, the woman smiling a bit nervously. "How are you feeling this morning, dear?"

"Uh…fine, I guess," she answered. " Just a bit tired. Who are you?"

"Oh, yes, you wouldn't know me, would you? You're new here…my name's Dr. Kadowaki. And you remember Squall…right?" she asked slowly.

"Uh…yeah," Kyonae nodded. Why was she talking to her like she was a six-year-old? 

"Good," Dr. Kadowaki replied. "I'll leave you two alone… when you feel right enough, you're free to go as long as Squall accompanies you." She walked into her office to do some paperwork.

Squall pulled up a chair and sat down beside her bed. " You okay?"

"What happened?" she asked. "I don't remember anything…"

"You went into some kind of seizure. When we found you, you were on the ground, twitching. Your eyes were wide open. We brought you here to the infirmary as quick as we could. When you calmed down, Dr. Kadowaki fixed up your arm."

Kyonae looked down at her bandaged arm. She had completely forgotten about it. "Did anyone see me?"

"Only the people you met last night. Don't worry, they won't tell anyone if you don't want them to."

"Did Seifer see me?"

"We asked him about it later, and he said he saw you acting weird and then run off."

Kyonae took a moment to absorb all this, then held her head in her hands wearily. "I'm so embarrassed…"

"Has it happened before?"

"Yes…so many times, I can't even remember how many…but it was never like that…I never passed out before…"

"What do you mean?"

"Sometimes…I have these visions. Flashbacks. Of…"

"Trabia?"

"Yes." She almost bit her tongue. (Why am I telling him all this? It feels as if I can tell him anything. Why…) "I don't know why."

"It was a terrible experience. Not your fault."

"I keep telling myself that, but I can't believe it. Oh Squall, the day Trabia was attacked, I had this sudden feeling that I should leave, head for the woods, anywhere far away…and as I was heading out the door…"

He shrugged. "Woman's intuition. No big deal."

"But I didn't tell anyone about it. I didn't want anyone to think I was crazy. And because I kept it to myself…so many people, all my friends…they're gone now."

Squall thought for a moment. " What does all this have to do with Seifer? Did you know him?"

"I wish I had. Then I could've killed him sooner," Kyonae muttered bitterly. "I heard Irvine that day. I heard you that day too, while you were searching for survivors. It was Seifer's fault my Garden was attacked. He was the Sorceress' knight, wasn't he? And a student of Balamb. He could've stopped it if he'd wanted to, right? But he didn't…that's why I vowed to kill him. To put things right again."

"Maybe," said Squall. "But are you sure killing Seifer's going to make the memories go away? Or the pain? What right is going to be restored by making him die?"

Kyonae could not reply. She didn't know. What right _would_ be restored by killing Seifer? She had never stopped to ask herself this question…she had always been too blinded by rage. She looked into Squall's gray blue eyes and saw pure, knowing wisdom, as if he too had once come across this question. She saw his oblique scar, and remembered Seifer had an identical one. It was then she realized that Squall and Seifer were rivals…and that meant he had battled against Edea…and _that _could only mean…

"You're the one who saved us all from Ultimecia."

Squall looked surprised. "You didn't know that already?"

"Well…" Kyonae stuttered. Had she offended him? "You see, after I was well enough to leave the hospital, I lived deep in the forest. You don't get much news out there. I heard of the battle, but I didn't know who had defeated her. I thought that while I was here, I could find out. And now I know…but anyway, back to Seifer…" she sighed. "I guess nothing good would come out of killing him. I mean, you've considered it, I'm sure."

"Oh, yes…many times," he agreed, a small smile on his face.

"And it has been a long time. Maybe he's changed…?"

"Well, attitude, no. But I think he'll think twice before trying to conquer the world again, if that's what you mean." Squall paused. "Kyonae…why did you go into hiding after the hospital?"

"Well, actually it was mostly the doctors' ideas," Kyonae answered, rolling her eyes. "They said a whole lot of doctor mumbo jumbo, then told me in straight plain English that I wasn't ready to live around normal people yet, that it'd be too stressing and I'd end up like all the others who went insane. So they had me sent to the woods and I lived there for awhile. I really didn't mind. I liked the solitude. But I never could help having this feeling that they were lying to me. Like they were hiding me from something…"

There was silence. Then, Kyonae sat up straight. "I almost forgot! The SeeD exam is today! What the hell am I doing sitting around?" She pulled on her boots as she stood up, wavering a bit at first. 

"Are you sure you're okay?" asked Squall, concerned.

"I'm fine. Don't' worry about it." She picked up her Talon, and put it back in its sheath. "Ready to go?"

"Sure," he said, standing up. As he did, the intercom went on_. "Attention please. All SeeD candidates are to assemble at the 1st floor lobby. Thank you."_

" Well then…I guess we'd better hurry up." She headed for the door.

"Oh, Kyonae, I forgot to ask: do you have a GF? They're required for the exam."

"Sure I do. I wouldn't go anywhere without her. Let's go."

Walking down the hall, Kyonae asked him, "How was your exam before you became a SeeD?"

"It was interesting." Squall had a smirk on his face.

"I hope I pass. It's always been my dream, to be a SeeD, next to getting revenge. But I guess I don't need that one anymore. Thank you, Squall."

"Huh? For what?"

"For everything. You saved my skin twice, and you stopped me from doing something I probably would've regretted. We're much alike, Squall, you and me."

"Why do you say that?"

"Uh…" Kyonae drifted off. Why had she said that? It had just slipped out. She thought quickly to improvise. "Well…we're both gunbladers, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so…"

"And we're both more-" Kyonae started.

"Complex than people think?" Squall finished.

They both stopped a minute, shrugged, and moved on. "Yeah…and we both think-"

"Zell is a loud annoying hot dog fanatic?" Kyonae finished for him.

They stopped again, looked at each other, and shrugged again. "Whatever,"

They said at the same time, but ignored it. It was too weird…

Down at the 1st floor lobby, Quistis was already there in her SeeD uniform, waiting for the candidates. "Hi Kyonae, Squall. Just waiting for a few more people. How are you feeling, Kyonae?"

"I'm fine," Kyonae said, a little more stubbornly than she meant to. "Which Squad am I in?"

"You are in Squad B, Kyonae," Quistis replied, checking the clipboard she was holding. Then she went pale. "Oh…"

"What?"

"Um, well, Kyonae, it's about your partner-we couldn't divide the teams up into three as usual, so there is only going to be the two of you in Squad B."

"What's so bad about that?"

Just then, Seifer came walking down the hall, smirking as usual. "Sorry I'm late. Ah, Kyonae, glad to see you, really," he said, though he put it in a rather unconvincing tone.

"Oh, what are you doing here?" Kyonae sighed.

"Well, Kyonae, that's the thing. Seifer is your partner."

"WHAT?" they both exclaimed at the same time.

"It can't be changed," Quistis shrugged apologetically.

"Wait a second, hold the frickin phone," Seifer protested, holding up his hands. "You mean to tell me I've gotta go on a mission with _her?_"

"And you mean to tell _me_ I've gotta go on a mission with _him?_" 

"You're to support Kyonae's decisions, Seifer, as she's the squad leader."

Squall shook his head slightly as he watched Seifer and Kyonae glare murderously at each other. This couldn't be good…

A/N: That's it for Chapter 5! Don't you think that was better than Chapter 4? It brought a few things out into the light and kept some things in the dark. My brother loved the part with Zell and the hot dogs. Maybe I'm bashing the poor guy too much…well, you tell me! Please R/R! 


	6. Chapter Six:Sa-Shenu, Protector of Etern...

A/N: Oh dear…I finished Ch.5, but I couldn't frickin' download it because FF.Net's server was being tested…I was going crazy for a couple of moments, then realized, what the hell, I'll just write Ch.6 while I wait for FF.Net to clean itself up. Phew! So, Seifer and Kyonae are assigned to the same squad…just the two of them. It's bound to be trouble…

Chapter Six: Sa-Shenu, The Protector of Eternity

They drove to Balamb in one of the Garden's cars. Quistis was there because she was the SeeD instructor in charge, Squall, Zell, Irvine and Selphie were there because they had to go on the mission too, and Rinoa was there just for the purpose of keeping Kyonae and Seifer from strangling each other.

Her job was easy. They didn't talk to one another at all. Kyonae sat across from him next to Irvine and Squall. Seifer sat next to Rinoa and Selphie. Zell was shadow boxing, and Quistis was driving.

"Sooo…." Rinoa started. "Kyonae…how's your family? Have you heard from them lately?"

"I wouldn't know. I've never seen my family."

"Oh, I'm sorry…"

"It's okay. It's not your fault. You didn't know."

Many silent moments went by, and only the sounds of Zell's fists swishing in mid-air could be heard.

"Hyne, do you have to do that, Chicken Wuss? It's frickin' annoying."

"Screw you, Seifer. I'll do what I want." He kept shadow boxing, beating the hell out of an invisible opponent.

Soon Seifer became very irritable. "Dammit, Chicken Wuss!!! Knock it the hell off!" He stood, making his way to Zell. Being taller than the martial arts specialist, he posed a considerable threat, especially with his Hyperion tucked away in his coat.

"Seifer!" Kyonae snapped, standing up. Suddenly Seifer felt a subtle, irresistible urge to sit down. He went back to his seat as obedient as a dog. Kyonae sat down also, as did Zell.

"Frickin' psycho idiot…thanks, Kyonae," Zell said, still a little jumpy.

"Seifer, you'd better get your act together if you want to be a SeeD," Selphie scolded. "Remember, if you don't pass this time, Cid's gonna kick you out of Garden!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Seifer waved away the comment. But, in truth, he really was worried. He really wanted to be a SeeD, but he always seemed to ruin it for himself. (Okay, Seif, just cool it,) he told himself. (Just keep your mouth shut, follow Kyonae's orders, as hard as it'll be, and get through the exam. You can do this. Look at them all, so stuck on themselves. They don't think you can do it. They think you're gonna screw up. Prove them wrong.)

He'd prove them all wrong.

Seifer looked up to see Kyonae staring at him. "What's your problem?" he snapped. She had had a thoughtful look on her face, but the look turned sour and she turned away, talking to Irvine, who had his arm around her shoulders as he was trying to charm her. Squall rolled his eyes.

"So, Kyonae…"

They drove to the dock and were loading onto the Squad B sub. Kyonae went back to the car to get her gunblade, which had somehow come loose from her belt. However, she accidentally caught a conversation going on between Squall and Rinoa, who were behind the car.

"Squall, I can't let you leave. I'm too worried about you."

"Rinoa, I'll be fine. You don't have to be worried about me. I've gone on more dangerous missions than this one, I'm sure."

"Anything could happen, Squall! What if something happens to you, and you can't come back to me?"

Squall remained silent for a few moments, a warm look in his eyes. "Rinoa…you're so beautiful…what in the world could possibly keep me away from you?"

"Oh, Squall…" she hugged him tightly, smiling.

"Now I'll be just fine. Don't worry. Go shopping or whatever girls do when they're bored, okay? I love you." He kissed her gently on the lips and hugged her one last time. "I gotta go."

As Squall made his way around the car, Kyonae held the open door and slammed it loudly, as if she had just come back a second ago. She tried to look innocent. "Oh, there you are, Squall! We were looking for you. I forgot my Talon in the car, so I just came back to get it. Let's get going, they're calling us."

Squall looked at her suspiciously for a moment, then ran ahead to the sub, Kyonae following him.

Xu greeted them as they shoved off. "Hello again. Wow, it sure has been a long time, huh, Quistis?"

"Yes it has. You know Squall and Zell, right? Well, these are our other SeeDs, Irvine Kinneas and Selphie Tilmitt, and our new SeeD candidate, Kyonae Falcona. You already know Seifer." 

"Pleased to meet you, Kyonae, Irvine, Selphie. Oh, hello, Seifer," Xu said a little less pleasantly. "He's not squad leader again, is he?"

"No, that would be Kyonae," Quistis answered. Kyonae saw Seifer's mood darken even more. People didn't even seem to bother to talk behind his back anymore…they just did it in front of him…

"Well, that's good. Anyway, everyone be seated so I can tell you the situation and objective."

Everyone sat down, and Xu began:

"Last night, around 22:00 hours, the city of Osiria was attacked by a military force unknown to Balamb Garden. At approximately 2:00 hours, a request for SeeD was made. They are a rich city and have offered us much money to eradicate this unknown force from their environment. They have a strong army as well, but there are far too many of the unknown force to take on alone, plus, it is rumored that they have released a monster in the city. That's why the request was made.

"Your objective: To eliminate all of the unknown military force, retrieve hostages and bring them to the Community Center, and, if there is a monster, destroy it. Failure is not an option, and also, the order to withdraw takes priority. Be ready. We expect fierce battle as soon as we disembark. This military force is stronger than the Galbadian was. It won't be an easy win. Be careful, and Seifer, for the love of Hyne, don't be an idiot this time." With that, she left through the sliding door to the cockpit.

Squall sat back, confident but worrisome. The mission wasn't going to be as easy as he had expected. But it couldn't be any worse than what he'd already been through…could it?

He looked to his side to see Kyonae, who, strangely, was doing the same thing he did whenever he was extremely worried about something: her elbows on her knees, her chin in her hands, with that dark, brooding look…

"Kyonae?"

She snapped her head up, looking at him. "Yes?"

"You okay?"

"What? Oh…yes, I'm fine. Just thinking." She looked over to Seifer. "Could you go topside and see how close we are?"

"Why don't you do it?" he replied churlishly without thinking.

"Seifer! That was an order from your squad leader!" Quistis reminded him, a cold look in her eye. "You are to do what-"

"No, Quistis, it's fine," Kyonae insisted, standing up. "I'll do it. I was just asking, is all."

"Are you sure, _captain?_" he said, raising an eyebrow with a rude smirk on his face.

"I'm sure. If you went up, I'd be tempted to swerve the sub," she replied darkly, perturbing him with a smirk of her own.

The time of day had come when the sun and moon shared the same sky, which was an explosion of reds, oranges, pinks, blues and deep violets. The sea wind whipped through Kyonae's hair ferociously. To the left and right of her were many SeeD subs, to the back, the white frothy water of the sea as they ripped through it.

And ahead of her, Osiria City.

The once peaceful city was now in total chaos; one could see it even from a long distance. Flashes of light littered the beach, sending fire and smoke up in their wake. Sounds of screams and gunfire were as plentiful as the fish in the sea they were now sailing through. 

All of a sudden, it seemed as if she were flying, fast, right toward the city, leaving the sub behind. She was zipping through the city, ducking and weaving through the mixture of bombs and buildings. She suddenly stopped in the middle of the city, in a dark alleyway, where something huge was waiting, darker than dark, its huge red eyes gleaming murderously…

Her mind snapped back like a rubber band, and she found herself back on the top of the sub, breathing hard from the exhilaration of 'flying', and her knuckles white from clenching the railing too tightly. So, there was a monster…

She saw a white speck in the multicolor sky, flying right toward her, and landing on her outstretched arm. "My friend…you came," Kyonae smiled.

The white falcon tilted her head at an angle, her deep, humanlike blue eyes sparkling intelligently in the sunset. (_I always come, Kyonae, when you need me. Have you not seen the monster?_)

"I have. If I need you-"

_(Then I shall come to your aid. I could do no less for you. Kyonae, please be careful. I feel there is more than what seems to be afoot. Watch yourself, and watch over Seifer Almasy.)_

"Seifer?" Kyonae asked bitterly. "Why?"

_(Please understand. I tell you only what I feel is right. I know not what will happen, but you must watch over him. Will you do that for me?)_

"…Of course, my friend. I would do anything for you," she said finally, stroking the noble bird under her beak. "Even protect my enemy."

_(Isn't your enemy the unknown force right now?)_

"Well, yes. Why?"

_(If Seifer fights against them as you do, he cannot be your enemy. Despite your differences, if you both fight against the same force, you both remain on the same side. Do I speak the truth, or the words of a hatchling?)_

"No, friend. You speak neither truth nor nonsense. You speak wisdom. You are right. Until the battle is done, we are on the same side. Thank you. Now go and hide, and I will call for you if I am in trouble."

_(Good luck, Kyonae.) _The falcon gave a piercing cry and took off back into the multicolor sky.

Just then the hatch opened and Irvine climbed up. "Kyonae! We're going to be landing any moment now. You should come back down so you don't get bucked off."

She turned to him. "Are you going into battle also?"

"Sure I am, Kyonae. But hey, don't worry about little old me. Actually, I'm more concerned about you. Are you going to be alright out there?" There was worry in his lovely violet eyes.

"I'll be fine." She lowered her eyes shyly. "I never got to-"

"Whoa, Kyonae! We better get down!" he suddenly cried. The shore wasn't far away. Without another word, they climbed back down the hatch and prepared to land.

****

The sub scraped against the beach and lurched to a stop. The doors opened and Irvine, Zell, Selphie, and Squall ran off to join the battle. "Good luck, guys!"

"Kyonae, Seifer, make sure your GF's equipped before you head into battle! Stick together; teamwork is of the utmost importance!" She ran off to battle as well.

"Let's go!" Kyonae cried, pointing her Talon straight ahead. "Do you have your Guardian Force?"

"I forgot it," he replied.

"That's all right, we'll use mine!" She ran off into the clash of enemy, SeeD and Osirian soldiers, her eyes glinting fiercely. Seifer followed, that old excitement running through his veins. He was on the battlefield again, his one true home.

And by the look on Kyonae's face, it was hers too.

***

Immediately they were attacked by plenty of the enemy soldiers, all black uniforms and wielding large swords. They didn't have a chance against the skilled gunbladers. Seifer laughed as he swiped the Hyperion at several enemies at a time, slaying them all. Kyonae spotted an Osirian family being pushed into a truck by at least a dozen enemy soldiers, the children crying in fear. "Oh, no you don't…" she ambushed the soldiers, practically slicing them in half with the sharp blade of her Talon.

"Cool!" one of the little boys exclaimed, before his mother's hands went over his eyes.

A SeeD came instantly, gave her thumbs up, and began guiding the family toward the Community Center.

Kyonae and Seifer fought side by side, defeating everyone that came their way. At one point, a bunch of soldiers got hold of her gunblade, and started closing in on her. 

Bad idea.

Wham! Kick! Punch! Kyonae began kicking ass with swift karate like moves that Seifer thought only Zell could know. When everyone except the guy holding the Talon was on the ground, the soldier dropped it and began running for his pathetic life. Seifer picked it up and threw it to her.

Kyonae caught the Talon by its handle, and pulled the trigger. The gun part of it went off, catching the soldier right in the back. "Ugh!"

(Wow!) Seifer thought, following her deeper into the city. But as they fought their way, the blond gunblader began to notice there were less and less soldiers to fight, until the streets were deserted. "Kyonae, aren't we supposed to be on the outer rims, fighting the military force?"

Kyonae shook her head. "We fought the soldiers. Now we go for the monster."

"The monster? We don't even know if it exists! It was just a rumor."

"It exists, I know."

"Oh, Yeah? How? Are you some kind of psychic?"

Kyonae didn't answer him.

They came to the City Square, where they found a stout middle aged woman trying to fight off two enemy soldiers with a wooden pole she found lying on the ground. She was in a rage that Kyonae had never seen in a woman her age.

"Where'd ya put her, ya bastards? Where did you take my daughter?"

Seifer and Kyonae rushed forward and easily dispatched the brutes. The woman dropped her gunblade in shock. She could have fought off two soldiers with swords, but two soldiers with gunblades…? She dropped to her knees and cried.

Kyonae sheathed her gunblade and knelt down beside the woman gently. "No need to worry, madam. We're SeeD candidates dispatched from Balamb Garden. We're here to help."

Hearing this, the woman's eyes went wide and she threw her arms around Kyonae sobbing. "Thank the gods above-SeeD has come at last-you have to help me, sweet child-"

Seifer looked at the scene with a wistful look. This woman was spilling her heart out to Kyonae, complete strangers to each other, and yet Kyonae was showing complete sympathy; patting the woman's back gently as she tried to calm her, as if they were old friends. Was that what helping people was all about? Feeling the other's pain, and trying to overcome it together? 

The woman rubbed her red eyes, explaining her situation. "Those bastards took my daughter from me. Those two stayed to keep me here, and one with a yellow badge took her away. Her name is Nevina and she's the light of my life. They said they were going to feed her to a snake!" Tears sprang anew in the mother's eyes.

Kyonae's eyes went wide, as if she had just figured something important out. "The monster…" she murmured to herself. She took the woman's arms in her hands. "We'll find your daughter, madam, and bring her back safely, I promise you."

"Oh, thank you, you sweet child!" She kissed Kyonae on the cheek as if she were the woman's daughter. She leapt up and kissed him as well, as if he were her son.

Just then, a Seed member ran up. It was Squall. "Need help?"

Kyonae looked relieved to see him. "This woman needs to be brought to the Community Center. We're going deeper into the city; several soldiers took her daughter hostage. If you could bring her, it would be of great help."

"I'm on it. Come with me, madam." Squall led her away, a worried look on his face. Kyonae carried the same expression.

"Come on, Seifer," she said finally. "We are to find the monster, destroy it, and bring back the girl."

***

It was dark now, and the moonlight was their only beacon of comfort. Seifer was beginning to get irritated. "Do you even know where you're going? We've been walking for at least an hour now."

"Osiria is an extremely large city, Seifer, and very old. In fact, it was founded in ancient times, and was thought of as a place where their gods resided. They said that if their gods became angry, a plague a terror would wash over the city and the great Iaret would be summoned to eat evil hearted people and unsuspecting children who were separated from their parents."

"How ironic," Seifer said dryly. "What the hell's an Iaret?"

"In ancient Osirian language, it means _cobra._" Kyonae stopped short, looking around. "Hear that?"

"No. I don't hear a thing."

"Exactly."

All of a sudden, a crumpled figure flew in the air before them from an alleyway, hitting the pavement hard. It was hard to tell what it was at first, but it was definitely a human body. "Sir…Madam…are you all right…?"

Kyonae approached the figure cautiously, Seifer right behind her. She rolled the figure over with her foot. 

It was the bloody remains of a mangled enemy soldier, a bright yellow badge pinned to what was left of his chest.

"Aaaaaaaaahh!" Kyonae screamed, backing up into Seifer's arms, who screamed also. Both felt the need to vomit, but kept it down.

"For the love of Hyne…who the hell could possibly do something like that to a human being?" he gasped, looking away.

Kyonae heard a sharp hiss fill the air, coming from the alleyway the body had flown out of. "I don't think we're dealing with a 'who' here, Seifer…more like a 'what'…"

They turned their heads slowly towards the alleyway, where a dark shadow was slowly advancing out into the moonlight.

"HOLY SHIT!!!" Seifer shouted.

It was huge black snake, at least 20 feet tall but 50 feet in length. It had blood-red eyes with slitted pupils, fangs at least a foot long and dripping with a mix of blood and venom, and great wing like flares.

"Iaret…" Kyonae gasped.

The cobra hissed greatly in rage. Its territory was being invaded. It struck the ground angrily, scaring them back. Then it attacked.

Seifer and Kyonae had their gunblades at ready. They repeatedly slashed at the giant snake, sending sparks from the weapons scraping against the stonelike scales. They barely left a scratch.

"Try to get it under the belly!" Kyonae shouted, going for its tender underside. But the snake was clever. It grabbed the young woman by her legs with its tail and shook her violently, the Talon falling from her grasp and landing somewhere in the alley. The tail crept around her entire body, tightening a bit each second…Kyonae was going to be strangled…

Seifer attacked the underbelly, leaving a great gash spurting blood. But it didn't seem to bother the Iaret. To it, it was merely a paper cut. And it just made the Iaret even angrier. 

__

HIIIISSSSSSSSS!!!

The cobra struck Seifer with a bunt of its head, sending him flying. Dazed, he staggered to his feet and was considering running for it, but then he looked over to Kyonae, who was hanging upside down, choking for air as the Iaret constricted the life out of her. 

"H-help me, Seiii-f-er-"

Determined, he ran back, but was yet again struck down. His anger level reached its peak; his blood ran hotter than molten lava…

"DAAAMMNNN YYOOOOUUU!!!"

He swung his Hyperion around extremely fast, a green electric ball of energy procuring from it. The energy ball flung itself at the snake, which was thrown back momentarily while Seifer sliced and diced it as best he could…

But it rose again, and made a sound that sounded suspiciously like laughter, as Seifer dropped to his knees, too weak to fight.

Kyonae's vision was going blurry, her lungs about to pop. She was about to be crushed like a mouse. The pressure was too great. She struggled her arm free from the cobra's grip and held her fingers to her mouth, omitting a sharp whistle then crying out into the night with as much force as she could…

"_SA-SHENU, I SUMMON YOU!"_

Everything seemed to stop for a moment as Kyonae ran out of breath, her eyes rolling back in her head. It was too late…it was all over…maybe if Sa-Shenu came quick enough she could save Seifer…

Seifer tried to catch his breath, down on his knees. Kyonae had gone limp in the snake's grasp. Was she…? She had to be. Her face had gone white, her free arm drooping like a wilted flower…then the snake tossed her up and swallowed her whole.

"KYONAE! OH, SHIT!"

The snake was ready to finish _him_ now, its fangs bared and in striking position, its flares waving furiously…

Suddenly, a great white blur distracted the Iaret, flying right between them. It stopped in midair, and Seifer saw it a beautiful white falcon, about ten times a falcon's normal size. She gave a piercing cry. It was so beautiful, it had to be a she.

The Iaret stared curiously at this creature, which kept swooping in and out of range of its fangs, as if taunting it. Then she dived down and sank a razor sharp beak into its fleshy underside, leaving a gigantic gash. The giant black cobra hissed in rage, snapping at the bird. It forgot Seifer completely. It wanted the falcon now.

Then the bird stopped flying, suspending herself in midair as she spread out her wings to a good 20 feet, and cried. A pure white light filled the atmosphere, till Seifer could do nothing but hear the Iaret's painful shrieking hiss…he felt a strong wind kick up with the force of a tornado…and yet Seifer felt strangely at peace, and stronger than ever…

The light died, and the night returned. Everything was silent now. Fear returned to Seifer's heart, and the sense of weakness filled his aching muscles again. The cobra lay dead in a twisted coil, its mouth and eyes wide open in frozen terror.

Thus was the wrath of Sa-Shenu, Kyonae's Guardian Force.

Seifer returned to his senses, and got up, running toward Kyonae. Sometime during Sa-Shenu's attack Kyonae had been spat out, lying in a crumpled heap.

"Kyonae? You okay?" he asked hopefully, shaking her shoulder briskly.

Kyonae groaned painfully and rolled over, her eyes trying to focus on him. She was still very pale, and covered in blood and snake slime. "Did Sa-Shenu come?"

"She sure did," Seifer scratched his chin, gesturing toward the dead Iaret. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," she nodded. "Could you help me up, please?

Seifer stretched out his hand to her and pulled her up, but his knees gave way, very weak himself.

"Seifer!" Kyonae said in surprise. "Here, I think I have something…" She dug into her pocket and pulled out one healing Potion. "I only have one…" She looked at it for a minute, then handed it to him. "Here."

He took it gratefully and took a deep swig, drinking the whole thing in one gulp. He suddenly felt energized and strong again. Then for the first time in what seemed like his entire life, he said, "Thank you."

Kyonae looked a bit surprised as she pulled him to his feet. "So, now you're being polite, huh? Did you hurt yourself?"

"Ha, ha, I'm in stitches, really," he said in a sarcastic tone, but it faded quickly. "But seriously, thank you."

"No problem," she shrugged it off, searching the skies. "Where'd Sa-Shenu get to…?"

Immediately the beautiful white falcon descended from the dark night sky, now her normal size, and perched on Kyonae's forearm. "Seifer, here's your hero. Her name is Sa-Shenu, my loyal friend and Guardian Force. Without her, we would've been snake food." She stroked her gently under the beak, and then Sa-Shenu took off, disappearing into the night.

"Now, we need to find the girl. Seifer, you check over there and I'll check over here. Hopefully she'll still be alive."

Seifer ran off to the other alley while Kyonae went into the one the Iaret had had come from.

The alley was dark, darker than necessary, and the young woman could barely see anything. Soon she came across her gunblade, and sheathed it. "Nevina? Nevina, are you in here?"

A frightened girl's voice answered seconds later. "Wh-who are you? P-p-please don't hurt m-me!"

"I'm not going to hurt you," Kyonae said soothingly. "I'm a SeeD candidate from Balamb. I'm here to help."

"SeeD? I h-h-heard of them! You're the good guys!"

'That's right. Now where are you? I can't see a thing…"

"I'm right here!" A warm body bumped into her. Kyonae picked the small girl up into her arms. "That man took me from my mommy and brought me here, but the big snake ate him instead of me! Then that woman told me to stay here until someone came to help.'

"What woman?" Kyonae asked, confused. "Who are you talking about?"

"_I believe…that would be me…_" a smooth, rich feminine voice sounded from deeper within.

An alarm rang in Kyonae's head. "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

"_Why, Kyonae Falcona…I'm hurt…you of all people should know me…but I do not blame you…it has been a very long time…"_

"Show yourself!" she ordered, pulling Nevina behind her. "I want to see who you are!"

_"Why should I? You know my face. Look deep inside of yourself, Kyonae…you know what I look like."_

Kyonae froze, scared. She knew that voice…

_"You have grown so much, my dear…in heart and body…I admire your courage. I knew my snake would draw you near. You could never refuse a mother's tears…isn't that right, Kyonae?"_

"No…no…"

_"Come with me, Kyonae…you yearn to, deep inside…your mind is telling you to step back, but your heart is telling you to come near…let me make the choice, and spare you the lost energy…you're very weak from your fight…such an amazing fight…let me heal you…"_

"NO!" she screamed, grabbing Nevina and running as fast as she could out of there, back into the moonlight.

"Kyonae? Is that you?" Seifer's voice called from down the street.

She ran for his voice, carrying Nevina, her eyes so full of tears she ran into him.

"Whoa! What the hell is wrong with you? You blind or something? Kyonae, are you crying?"

Before she could answer, they were ambushed by at least 50 enemy soldiers, who jumped out of their hiding places in the darkness of the buildings and alleyways. There were too many of them to fight. They were surrounding them, coming in for the kill. 

"You are to come with us, or die," their leader said.

"Try us!" Kyonae cried, pulling out her Talon. But she was weak, and the gunblade felt like lead in her hands. She dropped to her knees her head hanging. 

"You can't give up, you're a SeeD!" Nevina pleaded, trying to pull her up. Seifer stepped between Kyonae and the leader, ready to fight. "Wanna make something of it, pal?" he smirked evilly.

"We have orders to bring her to our city," the leader said, "and we will not let an amateur like you stand in our way. Step aside."

"No, I don't feel like it," Seifer replied rudely.

"Then I have no choice but to kill you." The man swiftly raised his gunblade, ready to strike. 

But the sword never touched Seifer. It dropped from the soldiers shaking hand, and the others did the same. A strange sound filled the air, causing the soldiers great pain. They were holding their heads in agony, howling with indescribable pain, dropping to their knees, begging for mercy. The torture was so great they fainted from it, and when the last soldier had fallen, Seifer turned to Kyonae, who was still on her own knees, head hanging, completely still.

"Is she o-o-okay?" Nevina asked.

"Kyonae?"

She looked up, sighing, a strange glint in her eye that wasn't there before. "I'm fine," she answered, standing up and looking around. "What happened?"

"You tell me," Seifer said, following her gaze. "Come on, let's go. You sure you're okay?"

"Yes," she assured him, though in truth they were both bloody messes. "You okay, Nevina?" 

"Yup," she smiled.

"Good, let's go. Man, we'd better pass for this, huh, Kyonae?"

"What? Oh yeah, yeah. We'd better," she smiled weakly. That strange glint was still there…

Suddenly an Osirian soldier appeared. "Hey! Do you need help!"

__

The battle was over. The mob of disheveled SeeDs and Osirian soldiers threw their heads back to the moon and cheered. 

Even Squall joined in the cheering as Irvine, Zell and Selphie lifted him up on their shoulders so everyone could cheer for their captain. The Osirian soldiers did this to their captain as well, and Squall and Captain Motep shook hands. "Well done, my friend," he congratulated Squall. "You helped us win the battle."

"No problem, Captain," Squall assured. "You fought greatly as well."

"One question-I feel that two people who fought against the evil are not among us. Where is the man and the girl that was with you?"

Just then a messenger ran up to them. "Captain Motep, we have just received information! The Iaret had been summoned to the city!"

"What? The Iaret? No! Where?"

"We found it just past the City Square! Sir, it has been slain!"

"Who could possibly slay the Iaret?" the captain mused.

"We found these two just down the street of where the monster was! They say it was them."

Squall forced himself down from the shoulders of his comrades. Advancing toward them through the crowd at a limp, were Kyonae, Seifer, and a little girl. Kyonae was very pale and bleeding and covered in slime, her arm slung around Seifer's shoulders; Seifer looked relatively fine.

"Kyonae!" Irvine gasped running forward. "What the hell happened?"

Kyonae looked very disoriented, very tired, and not very aware of her surroundings.

"Everyone out of the way, SeeD instructor coming through!" Quistis pushed her way into the circle. "She needs to get back on the sub, both of you do-"

"_NEVINA!!!"_

The stout woman rushed forward, sweeping the six-year-old up into her arms. "Oh, Nevina, I was so worried! Did they hurt you?"

"Nope! I got rescued by SeeD!" Nevina replied, smiling, pointing at Seifer and Kyonae.

"Oh, thank you so much, both of you." She looked adoringly at both of them. "You don't know how much Nevina means to me. I'll always remember you two."

Kyonae smiled faintly. To her the woman was speaking another language; her ears weren't working properly. But she understood the tone. 

"Come on," Squall said. "We'd better get back onto the sub." He took Kyonae's arm and slung it around his own shoulder, and together they embarked onto the submarine home.

A/N: Sorry it was so long! I had a lot of ideas! Don't get mad at me. So, what'd ya think, huh? Please read and review!


	7. Chapter Seven:Seifer's Triumph

Chapter Seven: Seifer's Triumph

_Kyonae was in a dim lit room, silk curtains draping from the ceiling like spider webs. The only sound she heard was the sound of her boots stepping across the marble floor. What was going on? It was too quiet. Suspicious, she drew her gunblade._

There seemed to be no danger at all, everything was normal except for the fact that she had no idea where she was. In the middle of the room there was a full-length mirror, a beautiful full-length mirror, with Sa-Shenu perched upon it. She looked into it and saw her reflection. She laughed, scolding herself mentally for being such a worrywart. Kyonae put her gunblade away and twirled around in front of the mirror, her reflection dancing with her…suddenly Sa-Shenu flew _away, shrieking her piercing cry._

"Sa-Shenu, what's the matter, my friend?" she called, watching her fly away from the reflection in the mirror.

__

"Kyonae…"

She swung around, and saw her. "What…?!"

"My dear…you're looking through the wrong mirror," she smiled warmly. She held a large hand mirror to her chest. 

"I…I am?"

"Yes. Here…why don't you try this one?" she held up the hand mirror to Kyonae's face.

And Kyonae had to hold back a terrified scream

It was her all right, but in the mirror she was made up and dressed like a sorceress. "Oh, nooo!" she tried to make a run for it, but collided into Squall. "Oh, Squall, thank Hyne you're here-"

He said not a word, but pulled yet another hand mirror from his pocket to her, like a cross to a vampire. She gasped in horror. Kyonae now had a large slash across her face, bleeding profusely, and she could feel it dripping down her cheek. "Oh no, oh no…" Her heart was rattling in her chest like a bird in its cage. She backed away-into Seifer.

"Seifer?"

He held no mirror, and said nothing at first, just looked at her with a strange look of sincerity and confusion. "…Who are you?"

"Wha-"

"He does have a point, Kyonae," she agreed in a tone of amusement. "I think we'd all like to know the answer to that."

"Yeah, Kyonae, who are you?" Squall joined in.

"I-I don't know-"

"You have to decide who you are, Kyonae," she murmured. They were coming closer, circling in on her like a pack of wolves. The background was dissolving into blackness. Seifer, though, stayed where he was, still confused. He was pushed away by a man holding a rifle.

"Irvine! Help me!" Kyonae pleaded.

But the once romantic cowboy had a dark look on his face, holding up the rifle at her. "I think not, beautiful, until we find out who you really are."

"Kyonae?!"

Kyonae turned her head to see Seifer, the darkness itself wrapping around him and dragging him into it. "Kyonae, help!"

"Seifer!"

"Who are you…who are you…who are you…" they were chanting, closing in on her till she was backed up against the full length mirror.

"Oh, Kyonae?" a voice said behind her.

She turned to see her reflection again, but to her terror, the reflection was smirking darkly rather than showing fear. Then, laughing softly under her breath, the mirror-Kyonae stepped through the glass. A black hawk was perched on her shoulder. Both their pairs of eyes were a shocking catlike yellow. "Hiya there, Kyonae. What's the matter? Snake got your tail feathers? Or are you just not lionhearted enough?"

The real Kyonae dropped to her knees, watching Seifer being dragged away into the darkness as the space between the four people lessened. She looked up just in time to see Irvine aiming his rifle at her.

"Sweet dreams, Beautiful," he mocked, and the gun fired with a deafening bang…

***

Kyonae woke up screaming bloody murder, her eyes wide, and kept screaming until a black gloved hand clapped over her mouth, a strong arm wrapping around her so she couldn't move. "Quiet. Wanna wake up the entire hotel?"

She knew by the voice that it was Seifer. "Now," he said, calmly and patiently in her ear. "If I let you go, do you promise not to scream?"

"Mm hmm," she said, muffled, nodding her head tensely. He released his grip. "Good." And he went over to his bed and sat down, shaking his head.

Her heart was still pounding in her ears, and she tried to catch her breath. She looked around. She was in a beautifully decorated room, on a comfortable bed, the faint roar of waves in the distance. "Where are we?"

"Welcome to the Balamb Hotel," he said, gesturing to the room. "And let me say I'm finally glad you woke up."

"Not worried, I hope?" she muttered.

"No! I mean-uh-yeah, as if," he said quickly. "I was ordered to stay here with you until you woke up. It was an interesting wait, too-you kept twitching and moaning and muttering stuff in your sleep. What were you dreaming about, anyway?"

"None of your business!" the distressed young woman snapped. "Why would you care, anyway…"

"Okay, okay," Seifer said, raising his hands in innocence. "Just asking. You just-looked really disturbed when you were sleeping, that's all." He turned to go check his hair in the mirror.

Kyonae sat on the bed, her legs tucked up into her chest. She regretted her words. He had only been asking, after all…and she couldn't help but feel she should be a little bit kinder towards him…

"I'm sorry," she said, barely audible. But Seifer heard.

" That must've taken effort," Seifer said sarcastically, turning back to her. "Did you hurt yourself?"

Kyonae forced herself into what she hoped looked like a grin, but it faded. "And-thank you for staying here with me."

He waved the comment away. "Forget about it. Let's get the hell out of here, we've gotta be back at Garden in less than an hour."

***

__

Out in the 2nd floor lobby, all the SeeD candidates waited anxiously for the test results. Irvine was waiting there as Kyonae and Seifer made their way up. He instantly rushed over to Kyonae. "Are you all right, Kyonae? I heard you nearly got killed by that buckin' bronco cobra! You look whiter than a ghost."

Kyonae smiled nervously. "I'm-okay…really." She was still a little uneasy about that dream, but his eyes seemed to show he was oblivious to any dark thoughts of driving a bullet into her chest.

For at least half an hour they waited, tension high, and Seifer giving Kyonae taunting looks. "Nervous…Falcona?" he smirked.

She quickly snatched his hand, ungloved it, and studied his chewed fingernails. "Obviously not as nervous as you are…Almasy." She answered smugly.

He gazed at her for a minute, looking like he was on the fine line between laughing it off and slicing her in half with his Hyperion. Finally, he snatched his hand back, looking sullen. "Yeah, whatever…" he slumped back against the wall beside her, Irvine watching suspiciously.

"So, you've failed this exam before, Seifer?" she asked.

"Yeah, loads of times. How did you know?"

She shrugged. "Had a feeling."

Suddenly a Garden Faculty Member came into the lobby, and Seifer muttered behind his hand, "Look, here comes the Twinkie head guy." Kyonae, to her own surprise, had to stifle a laugh.

"I heard that," the member snapped. "Now, I suppose you're all wondering who passed the exam-"

"YES, DAMMIT!" everyone yelled, tempers snapping.

The Garden Faculty Member leapt back in shock. "All right, all right, jeez-" he fumbled for the clipboard in his hand. "No appreciation around here- okay. Falcona. Kyonae Falcona."

Irvine beamed at her proudly as she stepped forward.

The GFM continued. "Now, there's only one other who passed, and that would be- Oh, good lord-" the GFM gulped. "Almasy. Seifer…Almasy."

The Trepies gasped in terror, Fujiin said "CRAP!" and Raijiin "Whoa, ya know!", Gordon and Harold went completely white and Irvine's hat fell off. Kyonae gave a demure smile, as if she'd known it all along.

Seifer's heart swelled with exaltation, his palms sweating in their leather coverings, his breath rapid. His brain seemed to be cut off from the rest of his body.

"Did you hear me?" the GFM said, voice shaking. "Go."

"Yes, okay, " he said breathlessly, his heart beating so fast he feared it would rip itself from his chest. He followed Kyonae with as much dignity as he could muster.

***

For once, Seifer was in the Headmaster's office not because he'd screwed up, but because he had finally done something right. And all those people that had told him he'd never be-he passed them now, laughing as their jaws dropped open like fish gasping for air.

"Hello, Xu," he said sweetly as he passed her. She looked ready to vomit. Quistis had a look of shock plastered to her face as well. 

Now, standing in front of Headmaster Cid, he felt this great sense of pride and exhilaration he had never felt before in his life. Was this how Squall felt when he became a SeeD? And Selphie? And Zell? And Irvine?

Was Kyonae feeling this right now like he was?

"Well, then," Headmaster Cid said, his arms outstretched. "Congratulations and welcome to SeeD. You will be dispatched all over the world in order to complete the many missions the future has in store for you. The pride of Balamb Garden, do you realize that? Are you up for the challenge? Well, then…your SeeD ranking report." He went up to Kyonae first. "I knew you'd become a SeeD. You were right. You are strong enough."

"Thank you, sir," she bowed her head, her pale face reddening.

"Seifer…" he turned his attention to the handsome blond. Cid looked up at him, very serious but a small smile on his face. "I daresay you took us all by surprise, Almasy. I never really thought…" he drifted off, not wanting to say it. "But all that's over, you're a SeeD now. Congratulations."

"T-thank you," Seifer stuttered.

"Well, that is all for the inauguration. Dismissed."

The two gunbladers saluted the headmaster, then headed for the door.

***

Kyonae watched the confined giddy look in Seifer's eyes, a warm feeling in her heart. She herself felt as if she could scream with delight and joy, jumping up and down like a child. But she kept her dignified stance, and he his. 

Stepping out of the elevator, they were both bombarded by cheers and whistles and clapping. Harold and Gordon nearly knocked Kyonae out with their friendly punches. Seifer was hugged-actually hugged- by the Trepies, Selphie, Rinoa, and even Quistis. Zell overreacted as usual, dancing around. Irvine was no where to be seen. Then Squall came face to face with Seifer, and everything went quiet.

"Squall?" Seifer held out his hand.

The quiet Leonhart stared at the gloved hand for a long, uncertain moment before, finally, grasping it firmly in his own hand. "Seifer." The young blond smiled, a weight being pulled off his chest. 

"Hey, you guys gonna get a room or not?" Zell shouted, breaking up the moment of the two enemies befriending each other. "Let's get to the party!"

***

Kyonae entered her dorm room Selphie and Rinoa waiting outside. "Hurry up and change, so we can pah-tay!" exclaimed the spunky brunette.

"Selphie, no one says 'pah-tay' anymore," Rinoa said.

"I don't care! WHOO!"

Kyonae chuckled as she closed the door. She looked at the SeeD uniform laying on her bed in pride. It had taken a year longer than expected, but she had finally done it.

She changed into the uniform, which felt smooth and comfortable compared to her own sunbleached, weather-beaten clothing. But she suddenly sensed that there was another presence in the room, and tensed up. "Who's there?"

"Why, only little old me, beautiful," Irvine's voice said behind her, very close.

She spun around to see him, surprised. "Irvine-shit-how long have you been here?"

"Long enough," he said simply, moving forward. "Long enough to see how beautiful you look."

"Irvine…?"

Without another word, he backed her up against the wall and kissed her deeply on the mouth, running his hands through her hair…

Kyonae was so shocked she stood there frozen, slowly melting as Irvine caressed her and kissed her… oh Hyne, was this happening? It had happened so suddenly; a grin, a violet sparkle in his eye and then sudden warmth…she was returning the passionate kiss, wrapping her arms around him…this is all she'd ever dreamed of…a kiss from her hero…this is all she wanted…and if it wasn't, she didn't know what she wanted…

Then Sa-Shenu's gentle voice penetrated through her cloudy mind, as Irvine was pulling her closer for a deeper kiss…

_Come to your senses, Kyonae. _

Kyonae did indeed come to her senses, and pushed the handsome cowboy away from her, gasping for air. "What are you…Hyne, what am _I_ doing?" she whispered. She made for the door, but Irvine grabbed her arm and pulled her back easily. "Wait," he merely said, going for her lips again.

She broke away and ran for the door, out into the hall and into Seifer, who already changed into his uniform. "Where's the damn fire?" he joked, but stopped laughing when he saw her disheveled figure. "What the hell- wait. Let me guess. It was the little cowboy, right?"

Kyonae nodded shakily.

"Allow me," Seifer smiled darkly, cracking his knuckles. "This is gonna be sweet…I've been waiting for a reason to do this for so long…" he went into the room and closed the door behind him. 

Several moments went by, Selphie and Rinoa staying silent. As Kyonae had given up waiting and was about to go inside when Seifer came out, followed by a very sorry looking cowboy with a black eye, fat lip and bloody nose. Irvine took one look at Kyonae and staggered off at a limp.

"Well, there you go," Seifer said smugly, crossing his arms. "See you at the party, girls." He took off down the corridor.

Kyonae had gone paler than usual, looking after the young blond as he went. "B-bye, Seifer…" she drifted off, still a little shell-shocked. She turned to Rinoa and Selphie. "I'll be back in a minute, I have to go and tidy myself up…"

As they were left alone in the corridor, both came up with the same idea. They looked down the corridor at Seifer, than at Kyonae's door. "Hey, Selphie…are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Isn't it obvious? They're such a cute couple!"

"Too bad they don't like each other," Rinoa said, a smirk on her face. "Yet…"

A/N: Please don't hate me if you love Irvine! I love him too, but I like Seifer more! I got inspired by a major fight I had with this guy who thinks he's my boyfriend. He kept hitting on me and telling me I had a nice ass, so I gave him a fat lip! If you haven't guessed it yet, Rinoa and Selphie are going to play matchmakers. Will they succeed? Please R/R!


	8. Someday Out Of The Blue

A/N: So Selphie and Rinoa want to bring Seifer and Kyonae together…who do they think they're kidding? There's no way in hell this is going to work. Kyonae and Seifer hate each other with a passion…don't they??? Hey, don't ask me. I'm just the writer. (Jeez, that sounded stupid.) And if anybody wondered, that boy that kept hitting on me-he's afraid to even go near me lately. ^_^ Now he knows how I feel when he stalks me in the halls-oops, sorry. I'm rambling again. Just read this and stop listening to me.

Disclaimer: 'Someday out of the Blue' does not belong to me, sorry to say. It belongs to Elton John, Tim Rice, and Dreamworks SKG. I just thought it would fit with the dance scene.

Chapter Eight: The SeeD Ball(for lack of a better title)

Seifer leaned against the wall, watching the other couples dancing. How happy they all were. Even Squall, talking with Selphie, Rinoa, Quistis and Zell, laughed when he heard Selphie crack a joke. He actually laughed. Everyone had become happier after the whole 'incident'.

The 'incident'…that's all it was allowed to be called, he thought, looking up at the glass ceiling. And all he had been allowed to be called was 'traitor', and 'disgrace'. But now that he was a SeeD, standing here in this very ballroom, it was as if it had never happened. People smiled at him as they passed now, instead of spitting and cursing. He had redeemed himself. He had finally been forgiven, even in the eyes of his scarred rival.

"HI SEIFER!!!" Selphie's high-pitched voice rang shrilly in his ear, jarring him awake from his thoughts. He stepped back a bit as he turned to see the hyper brunette. "Hyne, Selphie… d'ya really gotta do that?"

"Uh-huh," she nodded proudly, Rinoa right behind her. "Otherwise I wouldn't get your attention."

"Yeah, well, whaddya want?" 

"Well, we've been looking around the entire ballroom, and we finally found someone who would be interested in dancing with you," Rinoa said, grinning.

"Please tell me it's you," Seifer joked.

"I appreciate the offer, but no thanks," she replied sarcastically, smiling still. "Guess who it is, come on, just guess."

"All right…" Seifer looked around the ballroom, scratching his chin. "Hmm…could it be Quistis?" 

"Nope! Guess again!" Selphie said.

"Uh…one of the Trepies?"

"No!"

"Fujiin?"

"She's too busy kicking the crap out of Raijiin," Rinoa pointed out.

"Sorceress Edea?" 

Selphie giggled frantically. "You're silly!"

"I'm tired of guessing. Who is it?"

"Right over there," Rinoa gestured across the room, to the opposite wall.

Seifer's gaze followed Rinoa's hand, and saw whom else but Kyonae Falcona. She looked stunning in the light, her hair combed hopelessly only to return to its regular attractively messy style. She had changed from her SeeD uniform to a flowing strapless white dress, showing her shapely figure. Upon her neck was a chain with a silver shape of a falcon on it. She looked a little bored, standing on the wall alone.

"Her? Why?" 

"She told us that she really likes you," Selphie said in a low voice. "She thinks you're really cute."

"Really?" Seifer asked, interested.

"Really."

(_Wow,) _Seifer thought to himself running his hand through his fine blond hair. He had never thought…wow. Did she really think that? Selphie had to be lying through her teeth. But what if she was telling the truth…?

"Are you sure?" he said quietly.

"Oh, yeah," Rinoa confirmed. "Definitely."

"Seriously." Selphie grinned mischievously. "So…are you gonna go over there or not?"

Glancing again at the beautiful young woman, he nodded. "Okay. Fine."

"Good, we'll go tell her," Rinoa said excitedly, grabbing Selphie's arm and running off.

***

Kyonae stood on the wall, feeling shaky inside. She wouldn't even have come had Rinoa and Selphie not urged her to. They said it was her first SeeD ball, and she should in enjoy it, Irvine or no Irvine. That she could understand. But why they had insisted on her putting on this dress instead of her uniform was a complete mystery to her. There was really no one to impress, and she really didn't care.

She looked over to the punch table, to see Irvine standing amidst a throng of girls who were practically swooning over him. She caught his eye, which had been taken care of by swift healing potion. He looked her up and down in almost hidden amazement, but turned away quickly, straightening his hat involuntarily.

(Fine,) Kyonae thought bitterly, looking up through the glass ceiling to the amass of twinkling stars. (Who cares…not me. I don't even know him. Just because he saved me doesn't mean I have to be in love with him.)

"HEY KYONAE!!!"

Kyonae grimaced slightly, rubbing her ear as she saw Selphie and Rinoa. "Hello, Selphie," she muttered. "What is it?"

"We found someone who wants to dance with you," Rinoa answered.

The depressed young woman rolled her eyes and sighed. "I'm not really in the mood."

"Oh, nonsense! You'll think different when you see him," assured the raven-haired woman.

"Yeah! Guess who it is!" Selphie said.

"Selphie…" Rinoa said quickly, silencing her. "He's right over there."

Kyonae looked in the direction Rinoa was pointing, and saw Seifer Almasy himself. She had been so shaken back at the dorm that she hadn't realized how good he looked in that SeeD outfit. It really suited him. He waved at her, a thin golden eyebrow raised in interest and a warm glint in those emerald green eyes of his.

"Him? Why?"

"He told us he's crazy about you, Kyonae," Selphie explained. "Haven't you noticed? Anyway, he sent us over to ask you because he's too shy to ask you himself. So, will you?"

She glanced at Seifer once more. Did he really feel that way? Even back in Trabia, Selphie had been known to spread false gossip. It seemed to be her primary function. But Rinoa was agreeing with her, and she didn't strike Kyonae as the kind of person who lied a lot. It had to be true…right?

"All right," she nodded. "Why not?"

"Oh, good! Well then, get a move on! Go for it!" Selphie and Rinoa both said, pushing her onto the dance floor. 

As she went, Selphie leaned in towards Rinoa's ear. "See? I told ya it would work."

"Oh, please, it was all my idea."

"Was not-"

"What are you talking about?" Squall interceded, coming up to them. Laguna, Squall's father, and Ellone his sister, who had turned up for the party, were right behind him. Then Squall caught sight of Kyonae meeting Seifer on the dance floor, and then the satisfied looks on the girls' faces. "What-? Oh no. No, no, no, you didn't!"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Squall," Rinoa said playfully.

"Don't know what I'm- Rinoa! Do you know what you might have just started?"

"A good relationship?" she guessed.

"A war," he said simply. "I'd better make sure my GF's equipped…"

"Oh, come on, Squall," Rinoa said, hugging him. "You're overreacting…"

"Rinoa, not in front of my dad…" he grumbled embarrassingly.

But Laguna Loire wasn't listening. He was watching that girl who had just stepped onto the dance floor. She looked so familiar it was eerie. He had never met her, but she seemed to be a face worth remembering, someone important…

And Ellone mirrored his expression.

*** 

Kyonae met Seifer on the ballroom floor, smiling uncertainly. He bowed gracefully, grinning. "May I have this dance?"

She took his hand timidly, putting her other hand on his shoulder, and his hand to her waist. The music began, a live singer ready to sing up by the band. Both were nervous, not really knowing what would happen.

_Someday out of the blue_

In a crowded street or deserted square

I'll turn and I'll see you

As if our love were new

Someday we can start again someday soon.

Kyonae stared into Seifer's eyes, not sure what to make of them. Was this all a trick to break her spirit? It didn't make any sense at all. The Seifer from her nightmares had no feelings, just the desire to kill and rampage, someone to be feared. And yet here she was dancing with him face to face. Was this all a dream?

Somehow, she hoped not.

_Here comes the night_

Here come the memories

Lost in your arms

Down in the foreign fields

Not so long ago

Seems like eternity

Those sweet afternoons

Still capture me

Seifer twirled her around, then led her back to him. She was a beautiful dancer, never once looking down to check her footing, knowing exactly where she was going. She moved in complete rhythm to the music. She was so expertise at it, she seemed to make him dance better. He felt a little pang in his heart, something he had never felt before. What was it? 

__

Whatever it was, he liked it.

_Someday out of the blue_

In a crowded street or a deserted square

I'll turn and I'll see you

As if our love were new

Someday we can start again someday soon.

I still believe 

I still put faith in us

We had it all

And watched it slip away

Where are we now? Not where we want to be

Those hot afternoons

Still follow me 

Irvine watched them dance. For once, it was someone else dancing with the belle of the ball, not him. He was used to getting any girl he wanted with nothing more than a smile. But Kyonae was different. She needed more than a smile and a surprise kiss. She needed much more than that. 

He grinned. All this made him love her even more.

_Someday out of the blue_

Maybe years from now or tomorrow night

I'll turn and I'll see you

As if we always knew

Someday we would live again someday soon.

Oh, here comes the night

Here come those memories

Lost in your arms

Lost in a mist of dreams

Not so long ago

Seems like eternity

Those sweet afternoons

Still capture me

The song was ending, and the room went dark as a bright display of fireworks went up in bright fiery hues and dark somber colors. Seifer and Kyonae looked at one another, neither of them noticing that their faces were inches apart and drawing closer together…

__

Suddenly Kyonae felt a large weight on her chest, and she couldn't breathe. Her insides began to tremble frantically, and the ballroom was beginning to swirl. (_No, no, no,)_ she pleaded to herself. But whomever she was talking to, they didn't listen.

Seifer was now noticing that she was beginning to shake. "Kyonae, are you okay?"

"I-I-I-I'm f-f-fine," she stuttered, but it sounded a lot like choking. "I-just need some a-a-air, ex-excuse me." She walked off the dance floor out onto the open balcony, barely able to keep from staggering. After a few moments, Seifer followed her. Maybe it wasn't an act after all…

A/N: So, whaddya think? Do these guys fit together, or should I stick with Irvine and Kyonae? I don't know…I ask a lot of people at school and they say to go with Irvine, but others are telling me to go with Seifer. I know! I'll just forget them both and make Zell her boyfriend! OWW! *got kicked in the shin by best friend Sorena*I'm just kidding, Sorena. Hyne…nobody has a sense of humor… PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! PLEASE!!! 


	9. I Won't Let My Guard Down

A/N: I've decided I'm going to place the narrative of Kyonae into first person instead of third person. I don't know why, but I'm going to…

Chapter Nine: I Won't Let My Guard Down

I staggered out onto the balcony as if I was drunk, trying to hold in my cries of pain. Why did I have to have a seizure now? In front of everyone, in front of Seifer…but none knew of my problem in the slightest; they were all dancing and having a good time…and I wanted it to remain that way…

I did not hears dying screams or feel rising flames as I slumped over the railing, but just the opposite- it became much quieter, and so much colder that it chilled my bones. The moonlit balcony disappeared beneath my feet and the starlit sky vanished from above. It was complete darkness. Then that voice came to my ear_… _

"You look lovely tonight, my dear Kyonae. You are certainly the belle of the ball."

I swung around searching for the voice, reaching for my Talon, only to remember it wasn't there, but lying useless in its case in my dorm room. "What do you want from me? Leave me alone!"

"My poor, poor Kyonae…my poor, confused little girl…I cannot leave you alone. You are my little girl…"

"I am not! Stop calling me a little girl!"

"I apologize. You are not a little girl. You are a smart, beautiful young woman. But you are letting your guard down, my dear. You are becoming weak."

"What the hell are you talking about?" I demanded.

"Do you not remember who caused your life to turn for worse, my dear? The one whom nearly killed you and left you spiritually wounded? How can you bear to dance with your enemy? You feel kindness for that Almasy fellow, don't you? I see in your eyes that deep down your hate for him is slowly vanishing…

Suddenly another voice entered the air around me, the one of my faithful Guardian Force Sa-Shenu. "Don't listen to her, Kyonae! You know what is right! Do not let her take control!"

"Shut up, you filthy bird! Kyonae, listen to me, for I know best. You were always forgiving even as a child, but it must stop now! You must hate him. Remember what he has done? Trabia was demolished! All your friends are either dead or insane! He is the cause of all your problems, Kyonae, and killing him will be the solution! Seifer Almasy wears a veil of innocence over his evil, guilty hide, and he's luring you into a trap! Do not be fooled by his so-called change of heart like all the others. His rival has forgiven him, and leaves your path clear. He is your rival now.

I listened to her carefully, hanging on to every word. Maybe she was right. Maybe I was destined to become his new rival. It was the reason why I came to Garden, wasn't it? Half of my mission was complete. I had found the man who saved my life. Now to bring to justice the man who nearly took it… My mind drifted back to the night in the Training Center…

It could be anytime, or anyplace, but you're gonna get yours, Seifer Almasy…

And indeed he would.

I opened my eyes, and immediately sensed her satisfaction around me. "I am right, yes?"

"No, Kyonae, do not say it!" Sa-Shenu cried.

"Yes," I nodded darkly. 

"Excellent, my dear. We are finally on the same level. I have not lost you yet. Go back to your party, Kyonae, and do not let your guard down…"

"Oh, how could you, Kyonae, how could you…" Sa-Shenu's voice sobbed as the dark world faded away. 

"I'm sorry, my friend. This is the way it's supposed to be…"

I awoke in Seifer's strong arms, and he was staring down at me concernedly. Apparently I had fallen to the floor and he had caught me. 

"Are you all right?" he asked. "You had me worried."

I stood up abruptly, and when he didn't let go of me I pushed him away. "I'm just fine. Worry more about yourself." I leaned against the balcony rail, looking up at the full moon. He stayed behind me.

"Kyonae? Something wrong?" he placed his hand on my shoulder. His grip was firm but gentle. I felt myself giving in…but then I remembered. Seifer? Being gentle? I think not. I shrugged it off, grimacing. "Everything is fine. Let go of me."

Thinking I was just embarrassed about fainting, he let go and stood beside me at the railing. 

"So…I suppose you're excited about being a SeeD at last?"

He smiled, running a hand through his blond hair. "Are you kidding? Being a SeeD…it's always been my dream."

"Aside from being the Sorceress' knight?" I replied curtly.

He was stunned. I could see his expression out of the corner of my eye. He hadn't expected that. Especially from me, it seemed. "What…?"

"You don't think I've forgotten, have you?" I said, avoiding his gaze. "Have you forgotten just how many lives you ruined in Trabia because of your 'dream'?"

"Kyonae, I don't understand you. You act like you were actually there when…" he waited for a verbal response, but received none. I had closed my eyes and stayed silent, and he was impacted by that more than anything I could have said. "Oh…shit…no, Kyonae, you weren't…you couldn't have been…oh, Hyne…"

"I was caught under debris for several days, watching and hearing others slowly die, as I was dying myself. When the fires faded there was snow and unbearable cold. There were tombstones everywhere. I was surrounded by _death_. I was brought to the Trabia hospital for months, where I was surrounded by _more death_. I found out all my friends had either died or were in asylums because they had gone insane." My eyes were filling with tears and I quickly wiped them away. I couldn't show weakness.

"Kyonae…"

" They classified me as disturbed and isolated me out in the middle of the forests, because to them I just couldn't cut it living around 'normal people'. I have seizures all the time, reminding me more and more of what happened…" my voice was growing louder.

"Kyonae…" he was trying to keep me calm but there was no way in hell it would work.

"AND YOU KNOW WHAT?" I turned on him, and he visibly flinched. "The more and more I think about it, the more I realize how much I HATE you, and would love nothing better but to cut your head off!" I clenched my hands into fists, ready to punch him in the stomach. I didn't have my gunblade, but I could do just as much damage with my fists. I pulled back and punched.

But I never hit his stomach. Seifer instinctively grabbed my fists in his own hands and twisted so I couldn't move my arms. He released them but held my forearms so he had more control. He was looking me straight in the eyes with his deep green ones. Seifer had a strained look on his face, as if he were stuck between either punching my lights out or breaking down in front of me. The half that wanted to break down won. He pushed me away.

"You know what? You know what?" he said frantically, raising his arms. "You're right. Okay? You're right. It's my entire fault. It's my entire fucking fault. I killed all those people with no remorse. I am an evil person. I was the Sorceress' knight. I craved power. I gave her the idea to blow up Trabia, even Balamb! That was my dream. That was my…" he stopped, realizing what he was saying. His eyes were wide with sudden realization. "That was…my…dream. To hurt people. Like they hurt me. I can't believe this…" he stared at me, shocked. Without a word he turned and walked towards the railing.

"Seifer…what are you doing?"

He was climbing up onto the balcony railing, white as a ghost under the moon.

"Seifer, get down from there!"

Seifer didn't listen. He spread his arms, turned to face me, waved goodbye, and let himself fall back into darkness below.

_"SEIFER!!!"_ I shrieked. I lunged over the rail and grabbed him by the legs just in time. Slowly I pulled him up, until we were both safe on the balcony. Weak with shock though, Seifer fell down. I tried to get out of the way, but he grabbed me in order to stop himself and pulled me down with him. "Oof!"

I fell on top of him, at first I didn't realize it. But then I opened my eyes and saw his face right in front of me. I'd fallen right on his chest.

"You saved me," Seifer said breathlessly. He looked at me in awe and relief that he hadn't fallen to his untimely death.

"Yeah…I did…but only because killing yourself isn't the way to die. It's the easy way out. It had…nothing to do with you."

He stared at me, catching the uncertain tone in my voice and thinking I had lied. "Then why haven't you gotten off me yet…?" 

I couldn't answer. Slowly he lifted his head towards mine, drawing ever closer, practically freezing me to the spot with his deep emerald eyes. He was so close I could feel his warm breath on my cheek…

_Don't let your guard down._

I quickly pushed him back onto the ground, stumbling to my feet. Shaking my head, I looked down on his pitiful figure. Angry tears were flowing rapidly, but the moon had slid behind a cloud and it was too dark to see them. 

"I won't."

"You won't what?" he asked, getting up.

I paused, remembering he couldn't hear the voices. "I won't let my guard down." With that I pushed past him and ran all the way back to my dorm, where I fell onto bed and cried.

***(Seifer's POV)

I wasn't sure what had happened that made her act like that. First we were dancing and having a good time, all of a sudden she has a seizure. Next thing you know something's got her thinking that the minute she turns around I'm going to stab her in the back. That she can't trust in me.

I trusted her. Now I'm not sure.

Out of all the spitting and the cursing and the dirty looks I had received after the 'incident', no one had ever really told me directly the seriousness of what I had done, so I never really knew. But Kyonae had hit the nail on the head. That's when I realized the extremities of my actions. I realized that Kyonae, a person I had gotten fairly attached to, was also someone I had nearly killed. It wasn't a good feeling, and ignoring it only felt worse. I'd flung myself stupidly from the balcony and she'd found the heart to save me. Then I'd tried to do something even more stupid…I'm a stupid person.

I raced after her and tried to open the door to her dorm room, but she'd locked it. But I heard her inside, crying in racking sobs.

"Kyonae?"

"Go away, Seifer."

"But-"

"Please just go away," she said again, softer and whimpering this time.

I sighed. So this is what I'd reduced her to. "Fine. I'm going."

There was no reply. 

Back in my dorm, I flopped down onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling. What was this I was feeling? My heart had slid into the bowels of my stomach, a depressed feeling washed over me, my mind was on Kyonae, who was a few dorms away, crying herself to sleep.

Was it love? 

No. It couldn't be love. Impossible. I never felt love; I never could and never will. I wasn't meant for that kind of thing.

Of course, I thought I wasn't meant to feel guilt either. Miracles happen…


	10. You Came Back

A/N: The last chapter was a bit depressing, wasn't it? I'm sorry. I'm just down with a cold and very sad for some reason…maybe it has something to do with the fact that I can't breathe through my nose…anyway, just read the chapter…please R/R…ahchoo! 

Chapter Ten: You Came Back 

_"I am proud of you, my dear," her voice whispered in my ear. "You are fighting him. But do not grow soft. Victory is closer than you think."_

"I can't fight anymore. I do not wish to fight him anymore," I whispered weakly into the eternal darkness.

"Why? Because you love him?" her voice dripped with irony.

"No. Love has nothing to do with it. I just-give up."

"Kyonae…" her voice was now gentle. "You've really given up the will to fight him…haven't you?"

"Yes."

"Poor, poor Kyonae…what has he done to you to make you like this? Do not worry, my dear… I'm coming to help…you need not fight anymore."

"What do you mean, you're coming? Don't you take one step near him! Do you hear me? If you even think about coming to Balamb I'll…"

"You'll what?" She gave a high laugh. "But seriously…no, it would be foolish to come myself…I'll send some nice Dratilian soldiers in my place…and maybe some missiles…I never liked Balamb, really…"

"What?! No! Don't you dare!" I shrieked. 

"Sorry, my dear. My mind is made up. Don't worry, no harm shall come to you…I wouldn't want to hurt my little girl…"

"Noo! No! No…"

"No…" I awoke with a start, jumping up from the bed. I wasted no time. I quickly changed into my regular shirt, pants and boots. I took my trusty Talon out of its case and sheathed it at my waist. I slipped on my knuckle gloves. There was going to be a fight, and I would be ready- and so would the rest of the Garden.

I would not allow it to happen. Not again.

Quickly I ran down the hall, much faster than allowed, and in my blind obsession to warn everyone I ran into a passing body. We both fell down. It was no surprise to me that it was Seifer. He tried to help me up but I pushed him away, getting up on my own.

"Kyonae, I…" he started.

"Seifer, listen…get out of here. Run as far away from Balamb Garden as you possibly can. Don't be here when…"

"When what?"

"When the Dratilian Army comes knocking at the front gate," I answered timidly.

"The Dratilian Army?! How do you know…"

"It doesn't matter how I know," I snapped fiercely. "Just warn as many people as you can and get the hell out of here!"

He stared at me strangely for a moment, as I gazed at him. Finally he said, "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because…I can't let Trabia happen all over again. And well, because…dammit, Seifer, just go!"

We went our separate ways down the corridor.

Reaction was quick. I had thought no one would believe me, but once Squall started spreading the word everyone followed him. He believed me, because he figured I was just following my intuition, like I had told him before. And everyone believed him, because face it, he was a hero and everyone trusted him. The Garden was being evacuated, and everyone was heading for the woods, weapons at hand just in case of an ambush.

It wasn't a pretty sight, however. People were running frantically for the doors and trying to get more people through a door than possible.

"Please remain calm," I tried to say over the frightened shouts of the SeeD candidates who had never experienced a real battle, and even a few SeeD soldiers. "Everyone will get out in time. Come on, damn you, calm down-"

Someone grabbed the speaker from behind me and said in a loud voice, "YO! Everyone just COOL IT!"

Everyone stopped, and stared at the man who held the speaker. He was brown-haired and blue eyed, twice my age, and he got everyone's attention very quickly.

"Now, everyone's gonna get out, so just chill, okay? Exit the Garden in a calm manner! We are not animals! Now let's move it!"

They obeyed, and everyone got out a lot quicker. I turned to the man. "Thank you."

"No problem. I'm Laguna Loire. I saw you at the party last night."

"I'm Kyonae Falcona. Nice to meet you."

"Listen, uh… I wanted to ask if you have any idea-"

"I'm sorry, Laguna, we'll have to talk later," I said quickly. I couldn't believe this guy wanted to have a conversation in a situation like this. What was he, some kind of moron? "We have to get out of here."

"Oh-right." 

We ran outside, along with the rest of the Garden. Laguna ran ahead to join Squall and the others. I was about to follow him, but paused when I heard a frighteningly familiar sound that turned my blood cold. I looked up at the sky in fear.

There were five of them. Five long, sleek, black Dratilian missiles, flying together like a flock of ravens from hell. They made the most awful noise, screaming like banshees as they cut through the air. As everyone fled, I stood frozen, not able to take my eyes off of them…

_BAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!_

Balamb Garden disappeared into the flames, and exploded. The flames rose and spread outward, coming toward me like a fiery tidal wave, carrying pieces of large debris. I didn't need to have a seizure to remember what happened in Trabia anymore. I saw it right before my eyes.

It was happening again.

I was brought out of my trance by a hand grabbing the back of my shirt roughly and pulling me away. "Are you fucking crazy? Let's go!" Seifer's voice shouted in my ear.

I turned and ran with him, in the flock of hundreds of students who were screaming in indescribable fear, trying to seek shelter in the forest, which was far out of range of the fire. My heart was racing and I could feel every drop of my blood shooting through my veins swifter than lightning. The fire was drawing closer, and small pieces kept hitting me…

Suddenly Seifer was not beside me anymore. He hadn't gone ahead of me; I would've seen him if he had. Which only meant…

I looked back, and gasped. Seifer was caught under a large piece of wall; he had been struck down. He was struggling to escape the flames, but even I could see it was a hopeless effort. I felt like I was staring into a mirror, like I was watching my past self; struggling in a futile attempt to live, forgotten and left for dead…

I held out my palm. "PROTECT!" I shouted.

Instantly an invisible bubble surrounded me, which shielded me from the torrent of fire. I took it step by step, slowly, for walking into the wall of flames was like walking through a forceful, hot windstorm. But finally I made it to Seifer's side. He was protected from the fire by the wall, but it was crushing the life out of him in turn. He wasn't moving now; he had given up, just like I had. A modest trickle of blood was coming from the corner of his mouth.

"Seifer!" I cried over the roaring fire, meanwhile casting a Protect Spell on him also.

He opened his eyes and saw me, looking at me as if he had seen a ghost. "Kyonae…?"

"That's who I was the last time I checked. Are you hurt?"

"I don't know…I don't think so…but I can't breathe…"

"Yeah, I know." I held fast to the piece of wall. "Hold still! I'm going to try to lift this thing."

He winced painfully. "Okay…"

I pulled. It didn't budge, being at least 500 pounds. I was strong, but I wasn't that strong. "It's too heavy!" I cried out in dismay. 

Hearing these words, Seifer looked as if he had heard his own death sentence. "Kyonae, please!" He wrestled an arm loose and pulled me near him. His eyes showed neither shock nor anger, but fear. "I'm sorry about what I did to your life, and I take back anything I might have said to hurt your feelings. But don't let me die. I don't want to die. Please help me, Kyonae!"

I looked deep into his eyes, and all of a sudden I went deaf to the world around me. The hot wind blew fiercely but forgot to roar. He wasn't ordering. He wasn't commanding. He was pleading for his life, as if I held it in my hands.

Seifer Almasy, like every other human being, was afraid to die.

I closed my eyes and pulled away from him, standing before the wall. I wasn't touching it at all. My brain was tingling with electricity I had never felt before, and yet it felt so natural as if I'd planned on doing it all along…

I threw my hands up into the air, and I sensed the piece of wall rise up into the air alongside them, held by nothing but air.

"Holy shit…" I heard Seifer murmur.

Then, throwing my hands to the side, the wall flew in that direction and away from Seifer. I opened my eyes, suddenly weak. I dropped to my knees beside Seifer, who was grimacing in pain. "Are you…all right?" I asked, gasping, looking at a bloody gash in his shoulder.

"Yeah," he groaned, wincing. "Help me up, please."

I pulled him up by his good arm. Together we made it out of the fire, ran into the forest, and fell down onto the soft dewy grass in relief. We were a bit singed, and Seifer's shoulder was bleeding a little, but otherwise we were okay. We were alive. We had made it. 

"Oh, Hyne…" Seifer said, holding his head in exhaustion. "You okay?"

"Never been better," I answered in a gasp for air, clearly sarcastic, but in a nice tone. 

"Where's everyone else?"

"They've probably gone to the nearest Garden. That's Galbadia, isn't it?"

"Uh-huh."

"Then we'd better get going. I don't have any healing potion for your arm. Let's go."

"Wait." 

I turned back to him. "What?"

"Well—I know you could have very well left me there to die…but you didn't. You came back for me."

"Seifer—"

"No, Kyonae, you're going to listen," he interrupted me. "Enough with the modesty crap. You came back for me and you didn't have to. Why?"

"Because you didn't want to die. That's what you said, isn't it?"

"That was after you fought your way back into the fire. Do you read minds, Kyonae?"

"I didn't have to read your mind to tell you didn't want to die!" I snapped. "I saw for myself. I experienced for myself. If I'd let you burn…"

"What? You would've been sinking to my level? Say it, Kyonae, you know you want to!"

I lowered my eyes. "…If I'd let you burn, I would have never forgiven myself. That's the way I am. You're really not such a horrible person, Seifer. Happy?" I turned away.

I felt his hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry," he said softly. "I'm just…very glad I didn't die today. And I meant every word I said back there. I take everything back."

I didn't shrug his hand off this time. I didn't pull away. I just stood there. It felt very comforting. "It's okay. Now come on."

I had barely taken a step when all of a sudden five Dratilian soldiers jumped out from the bushes and tackled Seifer and me to the ground. I didn't even have time to reach for my gunblade. They'd taken it from my sheath and one held the razor edge close to my neck, three of them gripping my arms, legs, and my head. The fifth one, their leader, subdued Seifer with a warning look.

"So we meet again," the Captain smiled crudely. "Do not move, or we will make no hesitation to slit her throat."

Seifer stood still, looking helplessly at me. I shook my head as much as they would allow me to. "Walk away, Seifer," I said somewhat calmly.

"No," he answered, drawing his Hyperion.

"Seifer, don't be stupid. Walk…away."

"I don't think so," he said, pointing the gunblade at the Captain.

"Seifer!"

BAM!

He pulled the trigger and the gunblade went off, but not at the captain. Instead, it hit a branch, which fell down toward my captors and me. They let go of me and leapt away, as did I. My Talon was left forgotten.

I ran over to Seifer, but was grabbed back by the Captain. Seifer grabbed at me but he grasped the falcon of my necklace instead. The chain snapped, and he held the falcon in his hand instead of me.

The Captain had a different plan. He took me by the hair and threw me with amazing strength into a tree. I hit the tree with aloud, painful thud. "Ohhhh…"

"Kyonae!" Seifer cried.

"Shut up!" the Captain ordered. "Do you want her to die? Then you better not piss me off."

For once he listened, putting down his Hyperion and raising his hands in the air. The four soldiers picked me up and pulled me on my feet, but I was on the verge of passing out. I looked at him pleadingly. "Go, Seifer. Please."

"Too late," the Captain said, raising his hand. "THUNDER!"

He hardly had time to cry out in surprise. A bright bolt of lighting struck Seifer in the chest, sending him to the ground. He didn't get up.

"NO!"

The Captain turned back toward me, grinning. "SLEEP."

Before I could react, the world turned dark and misty before my eyes and I knew no more. 

A/N: Finally, something good happens! Please read and review! 


	11. Sweet Dreams

A/N: Oh, no! Kyonae's been captured by the Dratilian Army! Will Seifer be able to save her before they take her to their leader? Well, don't ask me…actually, this is more a chapter that shows what they're thinking about while they're apart…kind of sad, really…please R/R! J 

Chapter Eleven: Sweet Dreams

I awoke to familiar voices speaking around me. My head was throbbing with such unspeakable pain all I wanted to do was go back to sleep. But I heard them talking and I listened in.

"I found him at the edge of the forest," Squall's voice said grimly. "He's got a shoulder wound and a couple of ribs are broken, but I think he'll be okay."

"Look, he's awake!"

I opened my eyes and saw them all around me. We were still in the woods and it was dark, the moon was out and there were many campfires lit with Balamb students huddling around them. I lay on the soft grass, looking up at them

Irvine came forward with a fake smile, looking like he was holding in the urge to explode. "Hiya there, Almasy. You feelin' okay there, buddy?"

"Yeah, I guess…" I answered uncertainly, sitting up.

His features darkened. "Good. Because I'm gonna kick your ass!" He lunged at me, but held back by Selphie and Zell. "Let me go, dammit, I'm gonna kick his ass with or without your help…"

"What's going on?" I asked, standing now. "Where's Kyonae?"

Squall came near, holding something in his hand. "We were hoping you could tell us, Seifer." 

I squinted at the small object dangling from his fingers. It was the silver falcon necklace I had accidentally ripped off of Kyonae's neck. It glimmered mockingly in the dim light. Suddenly the events that had taken place that morning came up fresh in my mind.

"Oh, no…"

"That's right, 'oh, no'!" Irvine yelled, Zell and Selphie's grip the only thing holding him back from tearing my head off. "What did you to her, you bastard?!"

"We were attacked by Dratilian soldiers," I tried to explain. "Kyonae was captured…"

"Yeah, you probably handed her right over to them to save your ugly hide, didn't ya, Almasy?" Irvine continued hollering, his once beautiful violet eyes burning with hatred.

"Irvine, please shut up," Squall said finally.

Just then Laguna, who had stayed silent the whole time, came over to me, looking at me very seriously. "Almasy…" he took the falcon from Squall's hand, showing it to me again. "Where are they taking her? Do you know?"

I shook my head truthfully. "No."

Laguna nodded resignedly, sighing. He went back to the log he had been sitting on and hung his head, studying the silver falcon in his fingers.

"What's wrong, Dad?" Squall asked.

He didn't look up. "Oh, nothing…except I think I've lost my daughter to the Dratilian Army." 

This caught everyone off his or her guard, especially Squall and Ellone. "What?"

"Squall…" he rose his head to meet his son's eyes. "Your mother didn't die just having you. She gave birth to another child as well. Your twin sister. I got the letter yesterday."

"But what does that have to do with—"

"Kyonae? Well, I didn't know at first who this twin was or if she was even alive. But then I saw her at the party with Almasy, and I thought, 'Hyne, where have I seen her before?' I had seen her in you. You may not realize it, but you two look exactly the same. Just take away the scar…

"But it still wasn't enough proof for me. So after I asked Quistis here—" he gestured toward the blue-eyed blond, "—what her name was, I…uh…hacked into the Garden's computer system."

"Oh, Mr. Loire, really—" Quistis gasped, shocked.

"Hey, I wanted to know!" he snapped. "I have a right to know who my daughter is. Anyway, I hacked into the computer and looked up her files. It told me everything. She was born to an unknown mother, brought to Edea's Orphanage, ran away when she was six and disappeared for four years. Then she enrolled in Trabia Garden and became one of their school's best gunbladers. I saw her medical files too, from after the accident…they were very disturbing. She'd been brought to Trabia Mental Hospital for six months in order to set her mind straight again. I won't even try to tell you what she went through. But then she was released and disappeared for another four months…and then turned up here."

"That doesn't mean anything," Ellone said, putting her hand on her father's shoulder in comfort. "Maybe it's just a coincidence." 

"That's what I thought. Then I saw her name."

"We already know that. Kyonae Falcona," Zell put simply, releasing his grip on Irvine.

"Her _full_ name, Zell. I saw her full name. It was: _Kyonae Leonhart Falcona."_

Everyone fell silent. 

"She changed her name," Laguna said sullenly, "Sometime after she escaped from the orphanage." His once lively blue eyes now looked nothing short of dead. He said nothing more.

Squall looked as if he'd been punched. Rinoa had found her way into his arms and was staring quizzically into his eyes. 

"You two do share a resemblance, Squall…" she said carefully.

He hugged her, as if this would make the problem vanish. But it didn't vanish. He turned to me, his pale blue-gray eyes burning with a mixture of anger and helplessness in the light of the fire. "You…" He let go of Rinoa and advanced calmly toward me, only to grab me roughly by the collar of my shirt and slam me against a tree with a force of strength I never knew he had. "You gave my sister to the Dratilian Army!" he shouted loudly. 

Rinoa and Ellone grabbed his arms and pulled him gently away, but his anger only grew. "You bastard! Now I know why Kyonae didn't trust you. Because I didn't trust you either! And to think I talked her out of wanting to kill you!"

"Everyone just calm down right now!" Quistis exclaimed shrilly, silencing everyone. "Now, I know in the light of this…uh…news, we are all a little…uh, perturbed. But I'm sure Kyonae will be fine. So we should all just go to sleep and start for Galbadia in the morning."

Squall gave one last hating look at me before going into one of the tents, Rinoa following him. One by one, without a word, Ellone, Laguna, Selphie, Zell, and Quistis retreated to their tents. Irvine laid down on the soft bare earth by the fire like his typical cowboy self, his rifle tucked under his arm and his hat pulled down over his face. 

I sat down on a log, looking up at the moon. Now I was back where I had started. No one trusted me. Not even as a SeeD. They probably never even trusted me to begin with. They just acted like they did. Their smiles had been fake and I had been so blind with pride that I hadn't noticed it.

"So…" Irvine's voice broke into my thoughts. "Did you even like her?"

"Huh…?" I looked over at him. He had lifted his hat, and had been watching me the whole time. "What makes you think that?"

"Well, it's only logical," he shrugged. "I mean, hell. You gave me a pretty bad black eye last night, Almasy. That's gotta be a sign."

"I gave you a black eye because you annoy the hell out of me."

"What were you doing near her dorm in the first place?"

"What were you doing in her dorm in the first place?"

"Ouch, that hurt," he said, placing his hand over his chest. "All right, smart guy…why were you dancing with her at the party?"

"Because Selphie told me that she liked me."

"Selphie told you and you believed her? That's pathetic. Okay, one last question…why is it that whenever I mention Kyonae, you get that strange look in your eyes?"

I had no smart answer for that. I looked into the fire, then back at him. "Why do you even care?"

"Because if you loved her, you'd be feeling terrible about all this."

"I feel terrible about it, but I don't love her!" I protested.

He smirked at me. "Now what makes you so damn sure about that, Almasy? I think you do. And you know what I also think? I think that when we wake up tomorrow, we're gonna find that one of us ain't goin' to Galbadia." He lowered his cowboy hat over his face and said no more.

I looked upwards toward the moon again. Was Irvine right? I mean, I did feel very worried about her…usually I'm never worried for anyone except for myself. All that seemed to change a few days ago.

A new thought came to my mind: she was Squall's sister. What would _that_ look like, if I fell in love with Squall's twin sister? He'd kill me. Hell, Laguna would kill me for falling in love with his daughter. Everyone would want to kill me.

Just like Kyonae.

I laid back, groaning from my aching ribs, asking myself why I was such an idiot. I couldn't possibly love Kyonae. It was stress. Yeah, that was it. I was nervous. I mean, I just became a SeeD, my Garden was just blown up before my eyes and I nearly died. That was ample reason to be stressed out.

Of course, it was because of Kyonae that I even became a SeeD. We all would have been killed if she hadn't warned us of the attack. And even if I had made it out of there, I wouldn't have survived being crushed under 500 pounds of cement wall if she hadn't come back for me. That was a lot to love her for…aside from the fact that she was beautiful, sensitive, fair, and she had a good heart…

I tried desperately to shake her face from my head, but she wouldn't go. I saw the silver falcon lying on the ground, and clasped it tightly in my hand. Well, Irvine was certainly right about one thing…

Tomorrow morning, one of us wasn't going to Galbadia Garden…

"Sweet dreams, Kyonae…" I said softly before dozing off.

~~~~~

I woke up suddenly in the dark. "Seifer…"

But he wasn't there. I rubbed my eyes groggily. The Sleep spell had put me into a peaceful slumber without any nightmares. Slowly reality weighed down on me, until I finally remembered what had happened. "Oh, no…"

Strong rope bound my wrists and ankles to each other so I couldn't run away. My head was throbbing from when I had been thrown against the tree. I stared at my surroundings. I was in a tent. It was very dark, and the sounds I heard outside were the accented voices of the Dratilian soldiers. My heart sank to the pit of my stomach. Where was Seifer? Was he even alive? I felt hot tears forming in my eyes. I had never felt so lost and confused. 

Why did I care so much about whether he was all right or not? Why was I worrying more about him than about myself?

Because he tried to protect me.

He had actually tried to protect me. And come to think of it, it hadn't been the first time either. He tried to defend me against the Dratilian captain during the SeeD exam, the Iaret, even Irvine…he protected me from all those things…he actually had a good heart, and I hadn't known it…

But where was he now that I really needed him?

I felt for my silver falcon, my good luck charm, but it wasn't there. I then remembered that Seifer had ripped it off in the attempt to save me. He still had it, hopefully. Would he come for me? Would he defend me again?

One thing I knew for sure, I said to myself, as I began to drift away into sleep again…

I wouldn't want my good luck charm to be with anyone else but him.

"Sweet dreams, Seifer…"

A/N: *dodges rotten tomatoes* Hey! Hey! I know where you live, you little…*turns and realizes you have finished reading the chapter and are now reading every single word I am typing* Oh, hello…yeah, I know, I just heard it from that little punk with the tomatoes…it was sappy and it sucked, didn't it? Please don't blame me. It is 10:00 at night and I'm listening to Backstreet Boys music. And oh, if you have to throw tomatoes at me, at least throw good ones so I can eat them when you're done throwing them. I haven't gotten up to eat or drink anything since 6:00 this morning…but there has to be SOMEONE, ANYONE out there who likes this chapter and would like to review it! You know who you are! Review or I'm going to starve to death! J 

__


	12. Kyonae Gets Her Scar

A/N: I know Chapter 11 sucked a little… I'm still trying to clean the tomato stains (mark my words, I'm gonna get that punk). But Chapter 12 will explain a lot of stuff and hint about what's to come. P.S. I know this is genred as Romance/Action/Adventure, and it still is, but this particular chapter might contain a wee bit of fantasy. Plus, I'm thinking of changing Action/Adventure to Angst. What do you think?

Chapter 12: Kyonae Is Scarred

_The captain entered her dim-lit, chilly chambers, his confidence and morale running high. She had summoned him specially. No doubt he was going to get his promotion for obtaining the Falcona girl from the SeeDs. The others would be so jealous…_

He squinted through the darkness to see her dark outlined figure sitting on her throne. In truth she was a president, but the old Dratilian ways had not died out completely, so she was more or less their queen…not like anyone was complaining. She was a wise ruler. Wise enough to promote an aspiring captain such as himself.

"My queen…" he said, bowing deeply.

"Ah, Captain Avilo. I have been waiting for you." She did not rise. Her face was hidden by the darkness of night.

"Do you wish for me to light a candle?"

"That is not necessary, my dear captain. I see you perfectly from where you stand."

"Why has Your Majesty sent for me?" he asked, trying to keep the excitement from his voice.

"I wish to implore upon the health of Kyonae. Is she well?"

"Oh, the girl. She is secure in our care and couldn't be better. She is sleeping now."

"She hasn't been…hurt…in any way, I hope?"

"No, Your Majesty. She is fine."

Her eyes were beginning to glow a dim yellow. "…You are lying to me, Avilo."

"Your Majesty…?"

"Have you forgotten that I have the power to tap into any mind I want?" She said coldly, her eyes glowing a bit brighter. "Have you forgotten I can also see through one's eyes?"

"Uh…" he had forgot.

"So if she is not hurt, why does she bleed from her scalp? Why did I see her being harmed by no one else but you? Why did you not put her into a sleeping spell like I ordered?"

"I did, Your Majesty-!"

"Do not trifle with me!" she rose her voice. Outside, thunder boomed and lightning flashed softly through the silk curtains.

Captain Avilo quailed under her voice. "Please- I can explain-it is my impatience-"

" No, my dear captain," she cut him off in a low voice, standing up. "It is not your impatience that dares to defy me. It is your ignorance." Her eyes were a shocking bright yellow that stood out in the darkness like two candles.

The captain felt his breath begin to shorten, as if something were gripping tightly to his windpipe. "No, Your Majesty, please…" he choked.

"Do not think of it as a punishment. Think of it as a promotion above all ranks. And a valuable lesson…"

He dropped to his knees, holding his throat. He could no longer breathe at all, his heart beating in rapid thuds like someone knocking on a door, his eyes bulging…

"…No one harms my daughter and gets away with it. Goodbye, Captain Avilo."

He had no time to scream, just enough time to hear his heart suddenly come to a freezing stop. He hit the marble floor dead; his eyes wide open in eternal shock.

Captain Avilo had received his promotion.

I sat up suddenly from my place on the ground, breathing heavily. The campfire had gone out, and the moon had slipped between the gathering dark clouds. I held my head in my hands. The dream had been so vivid, so real, as if it had just happened. That queen had killed the Dratilian captain, the one had just seen this morning. She had also mentioned Kyonae, and said something about her being her daughter…

I stood. Enough was enough. I was going to go look for her. 

"Where are you going?" a quiet voice said behind me.

I turned. It was Squall…and Ellone…and Laguna. The whole Leonhart family stood before me with the exception of one.

"I'm going to go find Kyonae," I said bitterly, drawing my gunblade and pointing it at Squall. "Wanna try and stop me?"

He stared blankly at the Hyperion, at me, the Hyperion again, then back to me. "No. But you shouldn't go alone."

"Well that's just too damn bad, because that's what I plan to do."

Squall looked at me as if he was going to object, but then Ellone tugged at his jacket, subduing him. "Just bring my sister back alive, Seifer. That's all I ask."

Laguna nodded, agreeing. "Bring back my daughter, Almasy, and I'll never say another ill word toward you."

"We trust you, Seifer," Ellone popped in.

I was taken aback by this. It was the first time I could ever remember that being said to me. I nodded curtly, and turned to head deeper into the dark forest…

And Fujiin and Raijiin were standing there.

"You want us to come along, ya know?" Raijiin asked.

"No. I'm going alone, guys. Stay here and take care of the trouble makers."

They looked at each other and nodded. Fujiin spoke. "LUCK."

I shook their hands briefly. It reminded me that even though I may have been a traitor to everyone else, I was still a good guy in my true friends' eyes. Without another word, I walked past them; my Hyperion raised, into the woods.

I woke briefly to strange whispering that had broken into my peaceful dreams. I was scared. Still bound by my restraints, I had no defense against anyone or anything that may have lurked into my cloth prison.

"Who…who's there?" I said softly, my voice shaking.

__

'Tis no one else, but only me

A person which you cannot see

With my arms I draw you near

You'll find none but safety here…

A glowing pink haze surrounded me from no where, like a fine mist. I suddenly felt calm, at peace…I felt so blissful and oblivious, like I was floating in a dream. The voice continued to whisper…

_We trade for a little while_

You'll see a world where dreams roam wild

And to this vow that I am bound

That when you wake, you'll be safe and sound…

The pink mist was entering my mind now, numbing my senses, veiling my eyes with fairy dust, and soon I felt the bindings dissolve from my wrists and ankles, and I was floating away…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I had traveled very deep into the forest; by now it was dawn and somewhat light, for the sky was cloudy and threatened rain. That was when I stopped to realize…

I didn't know where the hell I was going.

"Fuck…" I felt like slapping myself. In my haste, I'd forgotten the one, miniscule, unimportant fact that I, Seifer Almasy, had no frickin' sense of direction whatsoever.

_(Do you need a helping wing, Seifer Almasy? I'd be more than glad to show the way if you are lost.)_

I turned to find the location of the voice, but no one was around. I must have been hearing things…

_(No, you are not hearing things, I'm afraid. You are hearing birds. Up here.)_

I looked up to see a familiar white bird perched upon a branch, one with very human looking eyes. "Sa-Shenu?"

_(Tut, tut…I do not understand humans sometimes. They recognize, but they ask anyway. But I suppose that is wise. A familiar face doesn't always have a familiar name.) _She spread her wings and landed perfectly onto my broad shoulder.

"What are you doing here?"

_(Well, I was soaring high upon the air pockets that abound the sky over the forest, sailing through the morning mist as its dew gathered on my wings…but then I spotted with surprise a young man. Wielding a gunblade, with deep emerald eyes like the Nile and hair as golden as the sun disc which the ancient Ra sat upon, on his face a scar holding dark memories like the chest of the ancient Seth...I knew it could be none other than Seifer Almasy. It is you, is it not?)_

"Yeah."

_(My sharp eyes never fail me. Anyway, I saw you searching through the forest in vain, like the ancient Apep searching for a way to destroy the sun. If my intuition does not fail me either, I believe you and I search for the same thing.)_

"Kyonae…"

_(Yes. If we join forces, we may be able to rescue her before it is too late…)_

"Before what's too late? Sa-Shenu, tell me!"

The gorgeous bird stared thoughtfully into my eyes. _(I am sorry, Seifer Almasy. A long time ago I made a pact with my mistress…a pact promising I would never reveal her secret to anyone…not even you, I'm afraid. I am sorry. You will have to discover it for yourself. I would rather be shot from the sky and ripped from wing to wing by jackals before I betrayed her trust. You understand, don't you?)_

"Yeah. I guess so."

_(Good. Then let us move onward.)_

"I don't know which way to go."

_(Of course, how silly of me. It is that way.)_

"How do you know?"

_(You'd be surprised how much you can see high up in the air. The soldiers are resting so we should have an easy time getting past them.)_

Onward we went, Sa-Shenu perched on my shoulder. I felt a little nervous around this bird, I felt crazy simply by the fact that I was talking to her…

_(What is wrong with talking to a bird?) _She said suddenly, sounding slightly offended.

"Well-uh-" I flinched, forgetting that she read my thoughts. "Nothing, really. I just never talked to one before."

_(A falcon or hawk are the best birds you can speak to, I'm not ashamed to say, if you want to have a civilized conversation. Eagles are too arrogant and boastful, blue jays are cocky and aggressive, and you can't even understand sparrows, for they only squabble…a falcon is dignified and attentive. Owls are the only ones who match us, I suppose. They are wise…)_

"Uh, Sa-Shenu, I was wondering. How is it that I can speak to you? I never heard you before."

_(Before, you did not hold Kyonae's luck charm in your possession. Any person who holds it has the power to speak to me. But Kyonae can still hear my voice even without it. She hears many voices. Sometimes they tell her things…) _Sa-Shenu cut herself short. _(But I have spoken too much. Let us keep moving. I sense we are coming near.)_

Sure enough we came to a clearing a few moments later. Hiding behind the bushes, we saw a couple of soldiers standing in front of a crudely built tent.

_(Kyonae lies within that one,) _Sa-Shenu confirmed. _(Approach with caution. I will wait here in case something happens.)_

"No problem," I said, shrugging. "Leave it to me."

Without fear I casually walked from out of the bush and up to the two soldiers. I acted so normally they didn't notice I was the enemy until I was right in front of them.

"Hey guys, what's up?" I grinned, holding up my hand.

"Huh? What are you doing here?"

"What the hell-?"

They both took out their weapons, but I was a mile ahead of them. They hit the ground before they realized they'd even had an accident.

_(Bless his self-willed soul…) _I heard Sa-Shenu mutter wearily in the brush.

"Hey, it worked, didn't it?" I objected. I lifted open the tents' flap and stepped inside.

It was a sorry sight to see. Kyonae lay in the tent, her wrists and ankles bound by rope. She was still and silent.

I came closer and knelt down. The left side of her forehead was spattered in dry blood, looking dark against her pale skin. She was in a cold sweat and her body was trembling as I gently shook her shoulder.

"Oh…" She moaned softly in her sleep, her tone one of pain. Her eyelids fluttered open gradually, revealing her pale cerulean eyes. She peered at me weakly through the dim light. "Seifer…?"

"I was the last time I checked," I smiled slightly, taking out my gunblade and carefully cutting her restraints. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay." There was a strange look in her eyes.

"You sure? You look a little dazed."

She shrugged, smiling tiredly as she rubbed her wrists. "Must've been when I hit the tree. Really, I'm fine. Where's my Talon? Oh here it is."

She grabbed the gunblade from its resting-place a few feet from where she had been lying and tried to get up. But she shot up so fast she stumbled. I caught her just in time. "Careful."

"Whoops! Lost my balance!" she grinned widely. Then she emitted a high-pitched giggle that I had never heard come from her lips before.

"Are you…sure you're all right?"

"I'm wonderful," she said happily. "Let's go."

***

_I have never been in such a place. Every good dream I had ever had, from birth till now, ran amok in this fantasy world. Unicorns swept past me chasing flocks of brightly colored birds, mists of colors stood in the air for no reason at all but to exist, and the sky was bright pink and orange. I stood amidst a field of beautiful flowers. The excited laughter of children rang in the air like many bells._

There I stood, gawking at the world around me. Then, I fell back among the sweet smelling flowers that sparkled with dew and laughed. Everything was safe now.

All of a sudden a swarm of children surrounded me, looking scared. One small girl stepped forward to speak for them. I recognized her as Nevina.

"Lady Kyonae! Thou must get up!" she pleaded.

I stood, studying the looks on their faces. "What is wrong?"

"Oh, Lady Kyonae, thou must help us! The Dark Knight draws ever closer, and we are only poor children. Will thou protect us?"

I peered across the flower field to see a knight in the blackest of armor, wielding a large sharp looking sword. His helmet blocked his face as he came nearer. Behind him, a great thundercloud darkened the sky, following him like a dog.

I felt for the handle of my gunblade. The trusty Talon was still there. "Do not worry, dear children. Step aside. I shall protect thee."

They cheered and ran off. I felt a chilling wind against my face as the thundercloud blocked out the warm sun. We stood five feet away from each other.

"Who art thou?" I demanded without fear.

"I shall only tell thee in my death. If thou can defeat me and pull this helmet from my head, thou shall see my face."

"So it be done!" I cried, raising my gunblade. 

***

We ran, bolting through the forest of trees and fog until we came to a dirt road, which was just as misty. I couldn't help but feel that Kyonae was acting strangely. She did not even acknowledge the fact that Sa-Shenu was there, and she didn't seem to know where she was going. Sa-Shenu, therefore, perched on my shoulder as we walked.

_(I feel there is something wrong with Kyonae, Seifer Almasy. I speak to her and she does not listen. She seems to be in a world of her own.)_

"It's probably just nerves. She'll come to her senses soon, I'm sure."

_(I do hope you're right.)_

Suddenly Kyonae began slowing down. At first I thought she was getting tired and weak, totally understandable in her case, so I held her shoulder and led her along. But then she stopped completely and pushed me very roughly away from her, staring at me with a mix of dark amusement and hate.

"Draw thy sword."

"What? Kyonae, what are you talking about?"

"I'm challenging you to a duel, you fool. A duel to the death. _Your_ death." She drew her own Talon, her eyes glinting murderously in the gently flashing lightning. The sky was dark with thundercloud. "The Kyonae you know is too weak to hurt you, so the true Kyonae-me- has taken over. Are you scared, Almasy? Do your bones tremble as if you are having a nightmare? You should have seen this coming." She rose her gunblade and swiped at me. I jumped back.

"I don't want to fight you."

"No? You would rather die without a fight? Ugh. How cowardly. I hate people who can't fight back. That is why I had to send Kyonae away." She lunged again, but this time I blocked it with my own blade. She kept swiping and I kept dodging and blocking until I fell. That's when Sa-Shenu swept down over us and yelled in my head.

_(Seifer Almasy, you must fight!)_

"No, I can't…"

_(Seifer, a familiar face does not always carry a familiar name! This is not our Kyonae! Something has crept its way inside of her mind! That is what is attacking you, not Kyonae! You must fight! Don't you see it in the eyes?)_

I looked up. Sa-Shenu was right. The look in 'Kyonae's' eyes was not her own. It was something else, something wild and evil…

I leapt back up and swung. The creature was stunned by this sudden effort and jumped away. "Ah, you wish to fight now, eh? Perfect! YAH!"

_The Dark Knight was strong, but he was burdened by armor so he was slow. I, however, was small and quick compared to him and easily dodged his blows. The wind ripped fiercely through the field of flowers, the lightning flashing and the thunder booming, but no rain._

He was advancing on me, so I quickly leapt aside and jumped behind him. He hadn't known where I had gone. Perfect.

"Thy time has come, Dark Knight. Face me."

He turned on his barreled figure, crying out in surprise as I plunged my gunblade right into the depths of his chest and out the other side.

"Thou hath fought well, sir knight. May thou rest peacefully in thy grave of thine own blood."

I ripped my Talon from him, and he fell backwards onto the soft grass. He was surely dead. The gunblade dripped with blood.

I knelt down beside the Dark Knight's body, and lifted the hood of the helmet to find the Dark Knight's identity.

There was nothing. It was an empty suit of black armor.

"Wha…"

Suddenly Nevina appeared out of nowhere in front of me, pointing a frightened finger behind me. "Lady Kyonae, watch out!" 

I turned to see Seifer, his fine golden hair standing out amongst the black clouds, his emerald eyes now full of murderous intentions. He held the Dark Knight's sword in his hand.

Because he was the Dark Knight.

"Don't want to scar your pretty face," he taunted, raising the sword up high. It was transforming into the shape of his Hyperion.

I was frozen. I couldn't move.

"Lady Kyonae! No! No!" Nevina screamed.

But the frightened child's voice dimmed away. The fierce wind forgot to roar again. All sound was blocked from my ears, except for the dreaded sound of the Hyperion swishing upward, preparing to come down like an eagle for its prey. I was trying to get up, but an invisible weight was weighing me down. 

The Hyperion came down upon me; there was a flash of light…

*** 

The rain came pouring down.

The creature inhabiting Kyonae's body had suddenly stopped fighting, stood straight, making Kyonae's eyes go wide and her pupils went as small as pinpricks.

But I had lunged forward with my gunblade anyway, not able to stop.

Now we stood there in silence, the rain hitting the dirt road the only sound. The swipe had caused her head to turn abruptly to the side in fear of being hit. Who was in that body now? The creature, or Kyonae? I held my breath.

She turned her head to face me. Her pale cerulean eyes were clear of any murderous thoughts, only confusion. Kyonae had returned.

Lightning flashed against her pale face, and I saw the damage I had done.

The blood was flowing freely down her cheeks, her nose, her lips, her chin, and her neck, staining her white shirt with awful red. My breath caught in my chest at the sight. I had delivered her a great long slash across her face.

Just like Squall's.

Staring at me expressionlessly, Kyonae rose a trembling hand to touch the wound. She winced painfully, and she shook even more when she saw her blood on her fingertips. Her Talon fell into the mud. Her expression changed into fear as she stepped shakily backward.

"Kyonae…I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to…" I stepped forward, reaching for her hand.

Her reaction was uncharacteristic. She backed away quickly, grabbing her hand as if something had burned it, whimpering and stifling sobs. 

She was afraid of me.

"Kyonae, come here," I pleaded, outstretching my arms. "I'll take you back to Squall and 

Rinoa and everyone else, and we'll get you fixed up…"

"NO!" she screamed. "You just want to kill me!"

"Kyonae…"

"Keep away! Oh Hyne please stay away from me! Please don't hurt me!" she sobbed now. Her blood, tears and the rainwater made a strange combination on her terrified face.

I stood still, not coming any further. She was horrified, terrified, any word for scared that you can think of. She thought I was going to kill her. Sa-Shenu broke the silence.

_(Kyonae, listen to me! Can you hear? Seifer Almasy will not-)_

"You've been on his side the entire time, haven't you?!" she cried frantically at the bird on my shoulder. "You've both been trying to kill me-"

"Kyonae, that's not true!"

She couldn't even talk anymore. She was too busy crying. The sight of Kyonae down on her knees in the mud, her face in her hands trying to stop the bleeding, sobbing in fear of me…it broke my heart. And I could do nothing but watch.

"What is going on here, my dear?"

We all turned to see a cloaked black figure standing there in the road, her velvety voice protruding from her hood. She was alone.

Kyonae staggered to her feet and tried to stop crying, but she couldn't.

"Who are you?" I demanded.

"It is no business of yours, boy," she answered coldly. "This is between Kyonae and I."

"Don't you dare hurt her!" I said fiercely, stepping between them.

The woman laughed lightly. "Silly boy. Why would I hurt my daughter?"

"Daughter?!"

"Did I stutter? Come near, Kyonae, let me see you."

Kyonae stood still at first, but then took a shaky step toward her. Soon she was running to the woman with all the strength that she could muster, looking ready to faint. But the woman held her up, studying her bloody face.

"My poor Kyonae! What did that barbarian do to you?"

"I don't-know!" she cried. "It was like I was asleep, and then I was fighting a Dark Knight, and all of a sudden- it won't stop bleeding…"

"You are frightened and cold. Do not worry. I shall take you away from this pain. I will bring you back to Dratilia. You will never feel pain again. Please come with me."

I watched as Kyonae looked up into this strange woman's face, listening to her words, as if this was salvation. Sa-Shenu cried loudly. _(No, Kyonae, no!)_

"I will come with you, Mother," she said finally.

Mother? "No! Kyonae, that isn't your mother! Your mother died giving birth to you! Her name was Raine! Your father is Laguna Loire! Your twin brother-"

"Goodbye, Seifer Almasy," Kyonae said bitterly, not listening to a word I said.

"No! You're not going with her!" I cried. I raised my Hyperion and lunged forward.

The woman held out a hand toward me, and all of a sudden I froze. A stabbing pain filled my head, making me back away and fall into the mud screaming with pain. I heard Kyonae laugh-laugh at my pain.

And when I could finally open my eyes and sit up, they had vanished.

A/N: Is anyone else crying right now besides me? Sniff…I cry just thinking about it. Please read and review if you cried or got the sniffles! Sniff…J 

__


	13. Ice And Tears

A/N: I am sorry for the delay of getting these chapters uploaded. We've been having trouble. First I couldn't log on to FF.Net for some reason, and then I couldn't go online period. But if you're reading this, that means everything's okay now and you can continue reading this story. Go on, read it! No one's holding you back! You're FREE!!!

Chapter Thirteen:

I groaned with pain, trying to rise from my resting-place. The last thing I remembered was the blinding pain slicing across my face, bleeding so freely, and then when I had agreed to come with her I'd passed out…

I'd gone with her.

My strength returning quickly, I shot up, studying my surroundings. I was in a very nice looking room, with many pretty things and Dratilian styled furniture, and a large full-length mirror. It looked like a princess' room.

I limped over to the mirror to look at my newly acquired wound. It was long and reddish brown, lying at an oblique angle, sore to the touch. 

Just like Squall's.

I looked just like him now…

Without realizing it I was starting to cry. My hands were trembling out of control, my instincts begging to just run into a corner and hide. I hadn't let Seifer take one step toward me. I had been so terrified, cowering away like a mouse. I had had a breakdown.

It had been so confusing, waking up to the rain, to the blood, to the reality of it all. But yet so predictable. I knew that sooner or later Seifer would turn around and hurt me like this. Make his mark on me, just like Squall.

But had I allowed myself to believe it? No. Not until now.

The frightening feeling of the warm red liquid running across my skin was so vivid in my mind I could feel it still. And it had been just like my dream, in the mirror Squall had shown me. It was as if that mirror had told my future. What about the other mirrors? Had their visions told my destiny also? And then there was the imminent fact that Balamb Garden was completely destroyed…

It was all too much.

_Who are you, Kyonae?_ Squall's voice echoed in my mind.

_Who are you?_

Who are you?

I clamped my hands over my ears as if this would shut out the sound. But the voices only became louder. And I was hearing others too- voices of my fellow classmates were making themselves known in my head.

_Help us, Kyonae. Please help. You're the only one who can._

Who are you?

Help us…

Who are you?

Please…Kyonae, please…

"SHUT UP!" I shouted, shutting my eyes tightly. "I DON'T KNOW WHO I AM! I CAN'T HELP ANYONE!!!"

"Oh, don't say that, Kyonae…you're the most helpful person I know."

I swung around to see her, a warm soft smile on her pale face. She was wearing flowing black robes and her long dark hair was pulled back in a tight bun. Her bright yellow eyes glimmered in the dim light, the same color as the small, real looking lightning bolts that had been engraved magically on each cheek. Her arms were widely outstretched to me, and for the first time in a long time I felt somewhat safe. Slowly I stepped over to her and hugged her. "Mother…" I stifled sobs, hot tears of happiness flowing down my face. 

"It's all right, my dear. You are safe now. Nothing in the world can hurt you, not even Almasy."

"What has happened to him?" I asked abruptly, feeling sudden concern.

"I left him where he stood. If we're lucky, the many wolves that prowl the forest have attacked him. Are you hungry, Kyonae?"

I shook my head, though I was lying through my teeth. I hadn't eaten in two days. But it wasn't important. "We need to find him."

"No need. I've sent some troops for him. They will shoot him on sight. Now, stop worrying-"

"What? No!" I backed up to face her. "You can't kill him!"

"Why not?"

"Because…" I paused, not because I didn't have a good reason, but because I didn't know which reason to tell her. "It isn't right."

Mother simply laughed. "Isn't right? Kyonae, look at you! Look at your face! Is that right? Is it? I think not."

"Well…maybe it was an accident. Maybe he didn't mean to…"

"Kyonae, you still cannot accept the fact that there is evil in the world, can you? You think everyone in the world is good and kind, and the world is peaceful? Kyonae…"

"I know there's evil in the world, Mother!" I said angrily. "I know the world can be an awful place. I've seen plenty of it. But I tell you, there is no more evil in Seifer than there is in a rock!"

Mother looked darkly at me, and I felt very scared. "Do not yell, Kyonae. I hear you quite well. Almasy has obviously brainwashed you into believing he has changed and, a good job he did. But now it is time to fill your head with some information of my own. After all," she said with a cold grin, "I know there's someone in there that agrees with me."

She held up her palm to me. An invisible force was pushing me back against the mirror. I couldn't breathe, or move. I felt very weak, her powerful magic overwhelming my entire body. Something was being sucked out of me, something with a life force of its own…

_My soul…_

Her hand shot into my chest, clutching at my very heart. Suddenly I was plunged into an icy oblivion, and my surroundings became various shades of blue, as if I was looking through ice itself. She was squeezing harder and harder on my heart, crushing out any memory I had ever had that had made me feel even the slightest bit happy, or warm, or secure. The bad memories remained, so many of them…I felt icy cold tears drip down from my eyes to my cheeks, where they froze and engraved themselves into my skin. I felt my spirit being drained from me, until I had no will power of my own anymore…I was expressionless, emotionless, spiritless…

"You will obey me now, Kyonae Falcona," she whispered, her voice echoing in my ears. "You are my apprentice."

"Yes…"

"You are the heir to the Dratilian throne, and future ruler of the world."

"Yes…"

"You hate Seifer Almasy."

I didn't want to say the word, but as the last of the warmth was drained from me, it rose from my chilled throat and onto my frozen lips. "…Yes…"

"You are a sorceress now."

"Yes, Sorceress Maika. I am a sorceress…"

***

We'd been walking down the dirt road when it began to rain, pouring down on our heads like a large waterfall. That's when we saw him.

He was on his hands and knees in the mud, body visibly trembling. Seifer seemed very shell-shocked.

"Squall! Look!" I said, patting his shoulder and pointing at him. I ran ahead through the mud.

"Rinoa, careful…" he called after me.

I knelt down beside Seifer, gripping his shoulders so he knew I was there. The blond turned his scarred face upward at me, looking very shocked and painful. "Rinoa! Kyonae…she attacked me…I…it was an accident, I swear…I didn't mean to…she was taken by some kind of sorceress…she called her Mother…"

"Calm down, Seifer, it's all right," I said soothingly, trying to calm him while Squall searched the scene, finding Kyonae's Talon lodged in the mud. 

"You don't understand…" he ranted frantically, very unlike Seifer. "She gonna get killed, I know it-"

"SLEEP," Ellone cast, and Seifer slumped into my arms, fast asleep. "Sorry. I had to calm him down somehow." I conjured an invisible stretcher so he drifted in the air alongside of us. Laguna looked at Ellone, as if putting Seifer to sleep wasn't the greatest of ideas. "I'm sorry, Daddy, but we'd never get anywhere with him carrying on like that. You can ask him as many questions as you want when we get back to Galbadia Garden."

We were starting to go, when I noticed Squall had stayed behind, rooted to the spot where he had found the Talon, staring at it solely as if it had been a possession of someone who had died. Even I could tell the difference between the rain and Squall's silent tears.

I took the Talon from his grasp and hugged him, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Don't cry, Squall. We'll find her, and everything will be all right. Just you wait."

It was a very strange moment. Out in the rain, soaking wet, and Squall broke down. His lips trembled, his lovely blue-gray eyes blinking rapidly, and suddenly he threw his arms around me, holding me very tightly, his chest heaving with shaky short sobs. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too, Squall. Now come on. The others are waiting for us." I wrapped my arm around his shoulders as we went to catch up. Poor Squall, I thought sadly. Poor Laguna. Poor Ellone.

Poor everybody. 

A/N: I…need...to…SLEEP!!! *bangs head down on keyboard, only to erase the jumble of letters I made* I'm going to bed now! GOOD NIGHT! Please R/R!


	14. Remembering Sorceress

A/N: I've had plenty of sleep and I'm ready to type again. Ch.13 was really short, but this might be a little longer. Well, go on, read it! And please review!

Chapter Fourteen:

I sat in the infirmary of Galbadia Garden, in a chair by Seifer's bed. He'd be awake soon, and I had to find some way to talk to him without tearing his head off.

I wasn't particularly mad at him. It was the confusion, the frustration and the fear that just made me feel like punching something, no matter who or what. That's why everyone else had either gone to the cafeteria or was sleeping in a large room the Headmaster had set up especially for Balamb's survivors. 

I held Kyonae's falcon necklace in my hand. It was very detailed for such a small figurine. Its eyes had been amazingly shaped to make it look silently furious, its wings outstretched. On its back were small ancient Osirian hieroglyphs that I couldn't understand. In my hand, it felt warm, as if it were alive. This was all I had of my daughter. 

I remembered fresh in my mind that letter I'd received that day during the SeeD exam. I remembered every damn word of it:

_Dear Sir, it has come to the attention of our orphanage that we used to care for your son, and we are happy that you've found him. But these next words may come as quite a shock: Squall had a twin sister who was also cared for by this orphanage. We received the information from a midwife who lives in Winhill, if you wish to ask her questions, her address…_

I looked at the falcon again. That fury in its eyes, I thought, looked exactly like what Kyonae must feel like every damned day of her life.

__

I was out in the playground, on the swing. Suddenly someone came up from behind and pushed me off. I fell to the dirt ground.

"My turn, Seifer!" Zell said, hopping onto the swing, his blue eyes sparkling with impatience. "You always hog the swing!"

I stood up and patted the dust off my blue shirt. My bare knees stung with scrapes, but I ignored it. Glaring at the annoying little six-year-old, I walked away to the monkey bars, where Squall, Selphie, Quistis, Irvine, and Rinoa were playing. I began to climb when Rinoa came up in front of me, her short black pigtails hanging limply as she was hanging upside. "Whaddya think you're doing?" she asked churlishly.

"I-I wanna play on the monkey bars," I stuttered.

Selphie came up beside her; her face screwed up in temper tantrum. "Well, you can't!"

"Why not?"

"Because you're a stupid boy!"

"Irvine and Squall are up there, and they're stupid boys too," I retorted.

"Yeah, well-they're different! We like Irvine and Squall. We don't like you at all!"

Irvine looked my direction and pointed his index finger like a gun. "BANG! BANG! You're dead!"

"Irvine, stop that!" Quistis cried. She liked everybody to get along.

"See? No one likes you, so there!" she blew a raspberry in my face and climbed back up, giggling.

Rejected, I walked away. I could easily have told Matron on them, but that would only make them hate me more.

I sat down under a tree, tears running down my face. I just wanted to be like the others. I wanted to play with them. But they wouldn't let me. They thought I was a stupid, strange little boy. 

It wasn't fair.

I was jarred from my depressed thoughts by an apple hitting me on the head, then giggling coming up from above. "Huh?"

Another apple came down and hit me. "Ow!" More giggling.

More apples came and hit me, until finally I lost it, picked one up, and hurled it back into the tree where it had come from.

"Whoa-" the kid responsible for the apple throwing lost her balance and fell right on top of me. We went flying to the ground in a heap.

She pinned me to the ground, laughing. She was my age, with long brown hair in two thin braids and spiky bangs, pale blue gray eyes and a wide smile. Her face was tan and full of happiness. "I got you!"

She rolled off me and shot nimbly to her feet. "Did you see that? Huh? Wow, you should've seen your face when…" she drifted off, her smile fading as she saw my tear stained face clearly. She hung her head guiltily. "I'm sorry. I didn't think I was hitting you that hard…I won't do it again, honest…"

"No, it's not you," I said, wiping them away with my sleeve. "Those guys over there wouldn't let me play with them. That's why I came over here."

"Oh…well, I'll beat em' up later. You wanna play with me?"

"Really? Sure!"

"Okay! You…" She looked around briefly, then, picking up a long stick, gave it to me. "You can be my loyal knight who protects me from the evil stuff while we go on adventures."

"What are you?"

She giggled, climbing back up into the tree and coming down with a flower crown she'd obviously been making. "I'm a sorceress, silly! Now come on!" She skipped off into the woods, and I followed her.

We came to a river with stepping stones lodged in it. She easily jumped over them. "Come on, knight! We gotta save the world from total destruction!"

I obeyed, going over them very carefully, and slipped. But before I fell into the water, she jumped back onto the stones and grabbed my arm. She giggled. "Some knight you are! You're supposed to be protecting me, not the other way around!"

I laughed with her as she guided me onto the bank. Then we ran some more, until we came to an ugly looking, short tree with no leaves. She stopped and gasped. "Knight, protect me!"

"Huh? What? I don't see anything. It's just a tree."

"Oh, knight, its magical powers have confounded your mind! Can't you see it's a great black dragon with scales like armor and eyes as red as blood? Can't you see the fire it breathes?"

I squinted hard, tilting my head. Its twisted black shape did kind of resemble a dragon's, and the two red mushrooms sticking out of it did look like eyes…the rays of sun glaring down on it really looked like fire. I finally nodded. "I see it!"

"Then help me defeat it! Blizzard!" she cried, holding out her hands and making a swooshing sound by blowing air through her teeth.

Joining the fight against the imaginary creature, I ran forward and sliced the tree harmlessly a couple of times with my stick. When the battle was over one of its branches broke off, and we considered the dragon dead.

"Good job, knight! Let's keep going till we reach the ocean!" She pointed onward. "Aren't you coming, knight?"

"Um…" I looked back toward the orphanage. Would the other kids notice I was gone?

I shook my head mentally. Screw the other kids.

I had a friend now.

We traveled through the forest, meeting many sorts of adventures. The girl, who I called Sorceress because I didn't know her real name, made any mundane thing seem alive and exciting. She claimed an ordinary rock to be the Great Orb of Greatness, whatever that was. We indeed went as far as the ocean, where she became ecstatic over a simple strand of seaweed.

"Mermaid hair!" she cried, holding the slimy piece of sea plant in her fingers. "This has been a good day, huh, Knight? We've fought dragons, giant snakes (which had really been vines), found the Great Orb of Greatness, an underground world filled with furry people (it had been a particularly large rabbit hole), and now mermaid hair!"

I allowed myself to believe in everything she said. "It's fascinating. It must've been a balding mermaid!" I laughed.

She was laughing, but suddenly stopped. "Knight-your knees!"

I looked down. I'd forgotten all about the scrapes on my knees, and had allowed them to bleed, making them even more vulnerable to thorny bushes and the like. They were scratched and bloody, and seeing them now suddenly made them sting. Tears welled up in my eyes in sudden pain.

"Sit down," she said gently. "You don't hide terrible wounds like these, Knight- you have to tell someone." As I sat down on a log, she pressed her palms against my shins. "Now stay still…"

It was quick and sudden as a bright light flashed under her palms, but it left a lingering icy feeling on my legs. When I looked at my knees again, there wasn't the slightest scratch on them. "Wow…how'd you do that?"

Sorceress thought for a moment, and shrugged. "I've always been able to do that. Maybe it's 'cause I'm a sorceress!" she giggled, sitting down beside me. "Let's rest for a minute. Being a sorceress and a knight isn't easy."

"Sorceress…"I had to ask. "What's your real name?"

Her smile faded again, into a distant look. "I don't know if I should tell you or not."

"Why not?"

"'Cause every time I do, I get sent away to another orphanage. They keep saying, 'It's all for your own good', but I don't understand why." She looked at me. "And I don't want to know your name either, 'cause if I get sent away again, I don't wanna remember you as Robert or Jason or anything like that. 'Knight' is fine for me."

She gave me a kiss on my cheek. Like her healing power it felt cold against my warm skin, as if she'd just stepped out of a freezer. Afterwards she blushed deeply. "Come on, Knight, we'd better be getting back."

"Okay, Sorceress."

It was a quiet walk, and soon we saw the orphanage ahead. Everyone else had gone inside. We ran through the empty playground, going for the doors…

Sorceress stopped. We both heard weeping behind us. Turning, we saw a woman sitting in the swing, her head in her hands. We hadn't noticed her before.

With me right behind her, Sorceress approached the woman. "Um…hello? What's wrong? W-Why are you crying?"

The woman looked up, her somber yellow eyes studying Sorceress with a far-off look. "'Tis nothing you should be concerned of, my dear. Go and play."

"No," she said stubbornly. "You're crying. Tell me."

The woman allowed herself a false laugh. "Strong willed, I see. Very well, then. Two months ago my only daughter died of sickness, and now I am alone. I am a mother without a child to care for."

"How old was she?"

"Not a year over six."

"Was she pretty?"

"Only the most beautiful little girl in the world."

"Was she nice?" 

"She had the biggest of hearts." 

Sorceress looked back at me strangely, than to the woman again. "Well…" she started slowly, "I'm six years old. I might not be pretty, but people say I'm very nice. And…" she looked away shyly. "I'm a child without a mother to care for me."

The childless mother looked up at the motherless child, in a whole new light. "You would like to come with me?"

"Uh-huh. I don't like to see people cry."

"Oh…dear child…" She swept Sorceress up into her arms. "You look so much like her, too! You must come with me…you must come with me to Osiria…you will happy there…we'll both be happy…what is your name?"

Sorceress whispered her real name in the woman's ear. I could not hear it. "My name is Maika. But you may call me Mother if you wish."

I frowned. Something about this wasn't right. "Sorceress…"

The woman's head snapped upward toward me, glaring at me in a cold way. "Who is this?"

"That's Knight. He's my friend. Can he come too?"

I quailed under the woman's stare, until she gazed away to Sorceress. "No…he cannot. I'm sorry, but you must never see him again. He is no good. Now come along, dear."

"Wait! Can't I say goodbye?" The woman had grasped her hand and was pulling her away. "Can't I say goodbye?"

"No, my dear, we must go. Come along."

Finally Sorceress ceased to struggle, and looked back at me one last time. "Bye-bye, Knight," she mouthed, but I could hear her voice in my head. She followed the woman down the road.

"Sorceress-" I started to run after them.

A gentle hand laid itself on my shoulder, holding me back. It was Matron. "Let them go, Seifer," she said softly. "There is nothing we can do."

"But Matron-"

"Let them go." Matron looked at the retreating pair, her eyes locked on the woman. There was a glint in her eye. Was it hate?

I sighed, following Matron back inside, looking once more at my friend, who was almost out of sight.

(Bye-bye, Sorceress…)

***

I woke with a start, sitting up instantly and so suddenly that it took Laguna, who had been dozing off in the chair next to me, by surprise. He stared at me questioningly. I must've looked like a madman, but I didn't care.

"Kyonae's in Dratilia," I said. "Sorceress Maika took her back."


	15. Dead Or Alive?

****

Chapter Fifteen: Dead Or Alive?

Just then Quistis came in, a pale, shocked look on her face and bloodshot eyes as if she'd been crying. After a few moments, Fujiin, Raijiin, Zell, Selphie, Irvine, Squall, Ellone and Rinoa came in also, looking curious. "What's wrong, Quistis? What happened?" Selphie asked.

Quistis sniffed, her voice thick with tears. "I was in the office-speaking to Headmaster Martine and Cid, and…we got a phone call."

"What's wrong with that?" Zell inquired, sounding stupid.

"Let me finish!" she snapped. "Anyway, we got a phone call, and it was from the Dratilian g-g-government…and…they called to tell us that…that…"

"What, Quistis? What?" Laguna implored impatiently.

"They executed Kyonae!" she sobbed out loud, burying her face into her hands.

There was absolute silence as the group of friends attempted to absorb this new information. Selphie fainted, and Zell had to catch her before she fell to the floor. Irvine placed his hand firmly over his chest, as if this would stop his heart from pounding so fast. Rinoa's jaw dropped in a silent scream and Squall and Ellone had to sit down, all strength leaving them. Laguna's face was one of pure agony. And I…I could only stare at Quistis, mentally pleading that what she said wasn't true.

"Whoa-whoa, Instructor, that's not cool, ya know? Don't joke about things like that, y-ya know?" Raijiin stuttered nervously.

"Who's joking?" Quistis said quietly, sniffing. "They killed her."

"Those Dratilian bastards," Irvine gasped softly.

"RAGE!!!" Fujiin declared.

"How could they do something like that?" Rinoa wondered sadly, shaking her head.

"Yo, Selphie, are you okay?" Zell said, trying to wake up the hyper brunette.

"She never knew she had a family waiting for her…" said Ellone aloud, holding the shell-shocked Squall Leonhart in her arms. "She never knew she had a sister…"

"Or a brother," said Squall tonelessly.

"Or a father…" Laguna whispered, holding his head in his hands.

I could only watch the grievance around me, as I was too shocked yet to feel it. Kyonae? Executed? It didn't make any sense. The Kyonae I knew would never stand for something like execution. Of course, I wasn't sure whether or not the Kyonae I knew was around anymore…

"No," I said softly.

"No? What do you mean, 'no'?" Rinoa said bitterly, wiping away tears.

"No!" I rose my voice, standing up. "Kyonae's not dead! She can't be! She'd never stand for it!"

"Seifer, we know you're upset. We all are. But we have to accept the fact that-" started Quistis.

"There is no fact! " I cut her off, pounding my fist down on the table. Suddenly I heard a tapping at the window. I looked over my shoulder to see the small white figure of Sa-Shenu tapping her sharp beak against the glass. Quickly I ran over and opened the window, and she flew in, a fearing and foreboding look in her deep blue eyes.

"A bird!" Selphie exclaimed, waking up from her faint.

"A falcon," I corrected, grabbing the falcon necklace from Laguna. "H-hey!" he protested. "What was that voice?"

As soon as the metal figurine touched my fingers, Sa-Shenu's frightened voice filled my mind.

_(Seifer Almasy! Thank the gods I've found you! Have you heard the news?)_

"Yeah, I've heard. Is it- is it true?" I asked her hopefully, though the others watched me as if I had three heads.

__

"He's talking to the bird," Zell murmured.

"He's gone nuts," Irvine agreed.

_(I do not know. It is very confusing, Seifer Almasy, and frightening…I cannot feel her life force anymore, but I have this feeling…like she's not dead, nor alive…whatever has happened, it has been something terrible!)_

"Seifer, do you need to lie down?" Rinoa asked worriedly.

"Don't worry, Sa-Shenu. She was taken to Dratilia and whether she's alive or…or dead, we'll find her there. And Sorceress Maika."

Sa-Shenu gazed sadly upon me. _(So, you have finally figured it out, have you? Yes. Maika is the one who you shall have to look out for. She is a very powerful sorceress, Seifer Almasy…stronger than Edea…than Adel…and when her powers are fully unleashed, she will be even stronger than Ultimecia herself. You cannot even begin to comprehend the things that she's capable of. Be careful, Seifer Almasy, be careful…)_

"What caused her to be like this?" I had to ask.

The noble bird did not answer me right away, her bright blue eyes reflecting in mine. _(She lost her only daughter to a traitor. Maika was once a very loving person…but the loss of loved ones can make the warmest heart grow cold and hard. She wanted revenge and dedicated her life and soul to sorcery. Then she saw Kyonae, just a small girl, who looked almost exactly like her daughter…)_ She went silent, not able to say anymore.

"How do you know all this?" I asked quietly.

_(Seifer Almasy…I can tell you only this. I owe Kyonae more than I can ever repay. I vowed I would keep her secret forever within my beak. But I can tell you my secret…I have been a falcon all my life, but I wasn't always a falcon.)_

"What…"

Before I could ask what she meant, she had flown out the window and out into the night.

"What the hell was that all about?" Irvine muttered.

"I'm going to Dratilia," I ignored him. "Who's coming with me?"

Everyone just stared, thinking I'd gone crazy. Even Fujiin and Raijiin had their doubting looks, and who could blame them? But then one person stepped up to me, the one person I hadn't expected: Squall. His face was grim and pale blue-gray eyes were shadowed with silent hate, for once not directed at me. "Seifer, if you have forgotten, we're still SeeDs. We need to be assigned to go on a mission."

"Then I say we assign ourselves!" I retorted haughtily, raising my fist into the air. "Come on, Squall. She's your sister! Are you just going to sit back and watch her get killed, just because it's against orders?"

Squall lowered his head in what looked like a mix of shame and thoughtfulness. Then, after a brief moment, he rose to meet my eyes, a small, somewhat mischievous smile on his lips I had never seen before, his face full of confidence. "Where is this Dratilia?"

A/N: That was so short it disgusted even me! But don't worry, Ch.16 will be loads better. Please R/R! 


	16. The City Of Dragons

Chapter Sixteen: The City Of Dragons

__

Lithos…lusec…wecos…vinosec…

I was floating away, floating away into darkness and I could not see where I was going…

_Lithos…lusec…wecos…vinosec…_

Then, with a loud thud, I hit the marble floor hard.

_Lithos…lusec…wecos…vinosec…_

I groaned with pain, trying to lift myself up. But I couldn't move. I had no will to. I lay there with my eyes half open, those magical ice tears stinging into my cheeks. 

I saw the world through icy blue, and I heard the world as if under arctic water. Someone- Maika, I think, was talking to someone.

"Go, my dear…go and get ready…I will take care of her. They will soon be coming."

"Yes, Mother dear," a cruel young woman's voice said. Her dark figure towered over me, and I could not see her clearly, but I could sense her divine amusement. "If I see your little boyfriend and your brother at the party, I'll be sure to say hello for you." She turned around and was gone.

_That voice…_

"Up," Maika commanded at me.

My limbs obeyed her over my own mind. As smooth as glass my body lifted itself onto its feet and my head turned abruptly to face her.

She smiled coldly. " You must be cold, Kyonae…here…we want you to look nice for the party as well."

At a lift of her hand a light blue cape rose from its place on a hook over to place itself on my shoulders.

"There, now…you look just fine…the Dratilian mark of a sorceress." She looked at me. "Do not be sad, little Kyonae. Once I take over the world I will change you back to normal. Of course, by then it might be too late. With or without this spell, you are still a sorceress. Like me. Like Ultimecia. Like my dear Sanya. Too bad your brother wasn't born a sorcerer…he might have been able to save you."

"Brother?"

"Why you didn't know? No, I guess not. That strange Squall Leonhart boy is your twin. You may not have noticed it before…" She came forward and ran her index finger down my scar, sending a modest surge of electricity through my numb body. I didn't have the strength to groan in pain. "But now you look just like him. And your sister Ellone…and the Laguna fellow…your poor, meddlesome father…he misses you too."

"What about my mother? My real mother?" I asked tonelessly.

"Oh, she's been dead for years. Her name was Raine. But she's of little importance to you now."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you doing all this…" I drifted off sorrowfully as she pressed her finger on my frozen lips.

"Listen to me, girl," she said bitterly, her smile remaining. "This would have been done long ago if you hadn't run from me. Now after all these years, I've found you…and this time, you will not slip from my fingers. My true daughter will live forever, the ceremony will be carried out…and if you do not cooperate, you will die in the process." She went for the door, and placing her hand on the knob, turned her head back to me. "Oh…and by the way, Kyonae…you might want to cool it down in here. It's much too warm for an ice sorceress." She went out the door, locked it, and was gone.

I was momentarily released by the slave spell, my insides filling with cold, brutal anger immediately. Looking around the room through my ice blue vision in sudden rage, I shot out my hands.

"Blizzaga!" 

Icy liquid immediately shot form my palms, covering the walls and the floors, the ceiling covered in icicles, snow coated everything in a thin blanket of its innocent whiteness. Vases cracked and exploded, the water within them freezing in midair. Suddenly my rage ceased. Faint reflections of me glimmered softly in the smooth glassy ice, mocking my trembling form as I fell to the cold icy floor, snow still falling lightly from where I did not know.

"Someone help me…anyone…"

But I knew no one would. I'd abandoned Sa-Shenu, turned my back on Seifer, and once everyone found out what I was…

I would be alone. Forgotten. Hated for the sorceress I was.

My secret would be discovered.

Oh, how the tables have turned on me… 

*****

I stood in front of the mirror, trying to brush out my dark black hair. A storm was passing through thunder rumbling so loudly, I could barely hear myself think. I missed Squall terribly, though he had gone only a few hours ago. This was no ordinary mission. There was absolute danger involved. I hoped he would be all right. I hoped Kyonae would be okay, too. Even I was beginning to doubt the thought that she'd been executed. But what would a sorceress want with Kyonae…?

_Lithos…lusec…wecos…vinosec…_

Suddenly lightning flashed, and my mirror image vanished. Before me was Kyonae in the mirror, a light blue cape around her and dark blue tears engraved frozen onto her terrified face. She had no pupils. Her voice was screaming in my mind, pleading hysterically and so loudly I dropped to my knees, holding my forehead…

_(HELP ME! RINOA, HELP! SHE'S GOING TO KILL ME! SHE-)_

The lightning faded, and she disappeared from the mirror and my thoughts. Irvine was helping me up. "Sweet Hyne, Rinoa, are you okay?"

"Uh…yes, I think so," I gasped, confused. "Didn't you see that?"

"No. I was just sittin' there and suddenly you went all twitchy. Why? What d'ya see?"

"I saw Kyonae. She was begging for help…she's in trouble…" I never doubted my own sorceress powers. Defiantly I looked out the window at the so far rainless storm, then went to go get a jacket on. "Come on!"

"Huh? What? Where are we going?"

"We're going to Dratilia, that's where. Let's get the others."

"What? No! Squall told to you couldn't go with him, remember?"

"Yes he did, Irvine. But he never told me I couldn't go after him." I stormed out the door to find Zell, Selphie, Ellone, Fujiin, Raijiin and Quistis, Irvine reluctantly following.

***

I never thought it would come in handy to have Squall Leonhart on my side. He was one of the elite soldiers of Balamb's force, and when he, Laguna and I left for Dratilia, no questions were asked.

On the way I told them everything, from the kidnapping, Sa-Shenu (who was now leading the way), the fight, the dream, all the way up to Sorceress Maika herself. Laguna looked worried, even for him. He walked ahead to keep track of the Guardian Force, leaving Squall and I to ourselves. The thunderclouds seemed to be following us, roaring and flashing arrogantly, but no rain. Squall turned his head to talk to me, a questioning look on his scarred face. "I was wondering…why are you so worried about what's happened to Kyonae? What's in it for you that you care so much?"

"What?"

"We're out here in a thunderstorm, Seifer, heading toward a city I've never heard of, following a bird that supposedly talks to you, and all because you are just so damn sure that Kyonae's alive and we've gotta go save her before some sorceress kills her. Why do you care about what happens to my sister?"

"Uh…" He caught me off my guard. I wasn't exactly sure how to answer. "Well, you see…um, what I mean is…oh, come on, I'm not that heartless not to care!" I snapped inarticulately at Squall, who was giving me a cock-eyed look.

"You used to be that heartless, Seifer. What happened?"

"People change, okay? I may not look it, but I'm a changed man. I have no sick plots to take over the world, okay? When you actually meet a girl who you nearly destroyed, it tends to change one! So get off my back, Squall!" I quickened my pace to outwalk him, but he'd come to a dead stop in the road. I turned my head to see him there, a look of sudden realization on his face, like he couldn't believe he hadn't figured it out until now.

"You love my sister…don't you?"

I froze. I felt like the police or something had caught me. A bead of sweat ran down my forehead, feeling very pressured. "Well, uh…"

Fortunately, I didn't get the chance to answer him, because just then Laguna cried out ahead of us, "Guys, look! We're here!"

We both ran ahead to meet him, as he was pointing ahead. Following his gaze, we saw the city of Dratilia.

It was just as large as Osiria, maybe larger. High, craggy mountains and a large lake, in the middle of which stood a pedestal-like cliff going up at least 1,000 feet, bordered it. There was a large front gate, on either side stood guard two stone dragons, each different in appearance and extremely lifelike even from a distance. A large stone castle stood in the middle of the city, towering over all the cottages and houses. It looked like something in a fairytale.

"Well…I guess there's nothing to do but go on, right?" Laguna asked to no one in particular. Silently, we all began to climb down the rocky hillside to cross the stretch of trees that lie between the Dratilian gates and us.

Suddenly out of behind one of the trees the figure of a young woman jumped out in front of us. She had neat bright red hair that was cropped short at an angle, a fair face, deep emerald eyes and crimson robes, a symbol of a flame stitched upon the chest. She stood ready to fight, fists clenched.

"Step no further if you do not wish to invoke my wrath!" she threatened. "You lousy Dratilian soldiers!"

"What? We're not Dratilian soldiers," Laguna said nervously, stepping back.

"You mean…you do not wish to invoke my wrath?" the fiery young woman said, dropping her fists, disheartened.

"Hell, no," I insisted.

Another voice came from behind the tree, a calm, collected voice. "Once again, you have accused mere travelers of being Dratilian soldiers. Really, how many times has this happened today?" Another young woman stepped out, with equally neat and short but wavy chestnut brown hair that was straightly cut, pale, oval lilac violet eyes, shy, apple blossom pink lips and leaf-green robes with a flower stitched on the chest.

"Well, I couldn't be sure!" the redhead argued. "They could've been anybody!"

By this time another young woman had stepped out of the woods, one with short, extremely neat jet black hair that was cropped short to an angle opposite of the redhead's. Her eyes were sharp yellow and catlike, taking in everything around her. Her skin was near white, her lips dark red. Her robes were black with a yellow lightning bolt stitched onto the front. She stood erect and tall, very alert. She stepped up to me and lifted up the falcon necklace. "He is a friend, Ember. Calm yourself." Her tone of voice was as clear and sharp as her appearance. She made my heart jump in nervousness, especially because I had had the necklace tucked under my shirt so one would see it. She pierced my eyes with hers, as if reading my thoughts. And she was. "This is Seifer Almasy. And Squall Leonhart. And Laguna Loire."

"Seifer Almasy? Wearing a necklace of Dratilia? No way! What the hell's he doing here?" the redhead gasped, earning a warning glance from the brunette.

"Pardon us," the raven-haired woman said, bowing shortly with apology. "My name is Naomi."

"Eve. Delighted to meet you," the brunette smiled.

"The name's Ember. I'm so ecstatic to make your acquaintance, really, just delighted," the redhead drawled sarcastically, mocking the other's tone. 

"We thought you were Dratilian soldiers on the way back from a hunt. We apologize. We are a resistance faction called the Forest Mages, determined on pulling Queen Maika from the Dratilian throne."

"But I heard that everyone respected Queen Maika," I wondered aloud.

"Of course everyone respects her," Naomi said in a bittersweet tone, her eyes glinting. "Because she killed everyone who did not."

"We're on a similar mission," Squall spoke up beside me. "We're going to rescue my sister from Maika."

"Kyonae…yes, I see. Otherwise you would not have that necklace in your possession. We, too, know of her. You are in luck. Tonight there will be an extravagant parade celebrating. No doubt Kyonae will be the guest of honor," Naomi said grimly, as if she knew something I didn't. "We may be able to rescue her and take down the Queen as well."

"How would we do that?" asked Laguna eagerly.

"Naomi's the greatest of all of us at coming up with plans," Ember offered. "What d'ya propose we do?" 

"Well…none of you are trained snipers, are you?"

"Irvine," we all said in unison. "But he's back at Garden."

Naomi blinked slowly, a strange foreboding smile on her lips. "I would not be so sure of that, my friends. I will bring them into the city and find some robes for them to wear so they won't be vulnerable to suspicion. Ember, Eve, stand guard here…just in case. Meet us in the Castle Dungeon in 18:00 hours. I will have come up with a plan by then. Come, Almasy, Leonhart, Loire."

Obediently we followed the lightning mage into the stretch of trees, exchanging nervous glances. In one of the clearings there were four horses, which Naomi told us to ride. We each got on one, and rode toward the city gates.

I rode up beside Naomi, trying to make a joke. "I guess you guys have never heard of cars, huh?"

"We like living in the past. Us Dratilians would rather feel the racing heartbeat of a palomino to breathing vehicle exhaust. It is amazing how much we do without modern day things. Osirians are the same way." She sighed. "How alike our two nations are, and yet we have been at war for centuries. It really is depressing."

"Why have you been at war?" I asked.

"Petty things, mostly. But there was a legend…it's been told and retold so many times, no one knows whether it is true or not. But what I know of it…it may seem a little farfetched to you."

"Tell me."

"If you wish. Once, back in the Middle Ages, Dratilians and Osirians lived in peace and harmony, as all nations do sooner or later. There was the brash, ever-flaring King Solarus of Osiria, the ruler of the day and the sun, and wise, ever calm Queen Lunora of Dratilia, the mistress of the night and the moon. The most powerful magical creatures at the time were the Dragons, whom, if befriended, would protect its ally's nation forever from enemies, plague, anything or anyone who wished harm, and attack any nation their ally wanted destroyed. One day, King Solarus discovered Queen Lunora's daughter, Princess Katarina possessed the divine, unique power of summoning and befriending the Dragons. He demanded that the Princess share the power with him, which she kept in the silver confines of a metal figurine of a falcon, which she kept around her neck at all times."

"What? You mean-"

"I am not finished yet. Queen Lunora knew Solarus' ways, and knew he would use the powers foolishly for his own benefit and no one else's. So she forbid Princess Katarina to ever let the necklace out of her sight, and to never give it to the King of Osiria for any reason. Solarus came up with a plan. He sent his son, Prince Darion, to Dratilia in disguise of a squire in a plan to charm the princess into giving them the necklace. But his plan backfired. Darion fell instantly in love with Katarina and wanted to do anything he could to keep the necklace safe from his selfish father, within the walls of the Dratilia kingdom. So the young couple made another necklace, completely identical to the first one- except that this one did not have any magical powers. Prince Darion went back to his father with the fake necklace, claiming he had managed to steal it. But when he found out it possessed no power whatsoever, he became enraged and had his own son killed. Now the two nations were on the edge of war- Princess Katarina was heartbroken because of the death of her love, and Queen Lunora was enraged because her daughter was hurt and because Solarus had been so heartless as to kill his own son over a talisman. And King Solarus was angry that he still did not have the necklace.

The war began there. Katarina then summoned four dragons: Thundaga, the dragon of lightning, Firaga, the dragon of flames, Blizzaga, the dragon of snow, ice and the ocean, and Blossoma, the flower dragon. She asked them to guard the city forever, which they gratefully did, until they turned to stone, where they stand at the gates today. That is why Dratilia is often called the City Of The Dragons. History of the necklace stops there. Some say Katarina kept it until her death, some say she threw it into Lake Drilta, and some say it was fought over so much that it just became lost."

"Could this be it?" I asked, holding Kyonae's falcon up.

"Hmm…maybe, but I doubt it. A lot of people took on to Katarina and Darion's idea and made copies of the necklace and tried to pass it off as the real thing. Now it is almost considered as a good luck charm in Dratilia." She glanced at me. "But who knows? It could be. Legend has it that if the real necklace was ever found and used by an heir of Katarina, it would awake the four Dragons from their stone form and they would avenge the Princess and destroy whoever the heir wished to be destroyed; and be at his or her every command."

By now we were just coming to the open gates of the city, where the gigantic statues of the Dragons stood guard. I could almost feel their ancient eyes squinting down at me. I saw Sa-Shenu flying swiftly overhead. Kyonae had to be here. I could feel it.

"I'm coming, Kyonae," I whispered under my breath, looking up at the castle. "I'll find you and everything will be fine. Just you wait…"

A/N: How was that for a long chapter, huh? Eve, Ember and Naomi were special guest stars in this chapter, from another story I'm working on called The Keeper Of The Dragon Pendant, but I haven't posted it up yet. Please R/R! 


	17. Friendship Long Lost, Now Found

Chapter Seventeen: 

When Ember had complimented Naomi at making plans, she wasn't kidding. Led down into the cellar of an old one-room house, we got to work immediately, and Naomi already had a plot imbedded in her brain.

"Getting into the castle will be simple enough. All we have to do is follow this underground passage right here under the moat…and that will lead us right into the dungeons. There we wait for Ember and Eve until 18:00 hours. But if we are caught before then, we shall have to fight alone. Then we will find the sorceress' bedchambers up on the highest floor, and that is when we shall surprise and attack her. She won't give up peacefully."

"What about Kyonae?" Seifer blurted behind me.

"Of course. Let us see…all right, when we go up for Sorceress Maika, Seifer, you stay behind and search for her. I do not know where her room is located."

"Just me?"

"Yes. The Sorceress will undoubtedly put up a fight, and we need as many fighters as we can. We know, at least, that Kyonae will come with you."

"I'm not sure," I heard him mutter almost inaudibly. I looked at him and he avoided my glance, almost guiltily. He hadn't said a word to me after the talk about him being in love with Kyonae. He refused to admit it, but it was so obvious. He never cared for anyone but himself before Kyonae showed up. Now suddenly he was so concerned for her safety he didn't even talk as much as he used to. He just had a weird look in his eye constantly, which vanished every time someone said his name, rudely yanking him back into the real world…

Why the hell didn't I see this before?! 

Rinoa and Selphie- yes, even Selphie- had seen it before me. I'm usually so good at figuring things out. But this time I had been left in the dark. How could I have allowed this to slip past my vigil watch? I could spot an enemy a mile away, see through any mask…but I could not see their faraway looks, the way they danced together, their perpetual determination to save each other's lives. I'd heard it all from the little six-year-old Nevina, tugging at my waist as I tried to carry Kyonae into the sub. She'd seen them, risking their lives to save each other, and why? Merely to repay the other for their deed. It was almost scary to think about Seifer being in love…it wasn't his nature at all.

And how did I feel about all this? About Seifer Almasy liking my sister? My twin?

In any other circumstances I would have punched his lights out.

But actually I was impressed. Seifer, of all people…falling in love…to actually have normal feelings like a normal human being.

I knew he had it in him somewhere.

"So it is settled," Naomi finished. "We leave in ten minutes." She threw us some old Dratilian robes. "Put these on. No one will even recognize you. I'm going upstairs for a moment, excuse me…"

"Um, I'll go with her," my father said nervously, glancing at a rat that had just streaked across the floor. He streaked up the stairs just as quickly, leaving Seifer and I alone. 

He was preoccupied with the strategy table, which was a perfectly detailed model of the entire city with little wooden figures of people standing upright. He was holding one that looked a lot like my lost sister, staring at it strangely. How much more obvious can it get? I thought, shaking my head.

"So…do you think this is all going to work?" I said casually.

"Huh? What? Oh…I don't know. It seems easy enough. But I know it won't be."

"…" I abruptly changed the subject. "You know, you never answered my question back there on the road."

"What question?" he replied, trying to sound ignorant.

"You know what question, Seifer. Do you love her or not?"

"None of your damn business."

"Like hell it isn't!" I snapped, turning him around roughly to face me. I was sick of this crap. "Kyonae's my sister, Seifer, and it is my business. Now tell me or I'll punch your face in!"

"All right!" he shouted back, throwing up his arms in exasperation. "You wanna know? Fine! I'm in love with her! I'm crazy about her and every single thing she does drives me insane, and that's why I'm going up against a sorceress who wants my head on a wall and the entire damned Dratilian army if I have to, just to get her back! ARE YOU HAPPY, PUBERTY BOY?!"

I stood back, eyebrows raised in surprise. He calmed down, looking somber as he hung his head.

"I don't know why. I-I just…I never felt anything like it…She's amazing. Do you know what it's like, to be shunned by everyone and then suddenly someone comes along and judges you for who you are and not for what you were? I mean, she has her grudges too…but she has a right to hate me, for what I did…but she still found a way to like me. She's the most amazing girl I've ever met, and I love her, Squall. You can punch me right now for saying that about your sister, but it won't change the way I feel. I'll do anything to get her back." 

I kinda wanted to punch him, but I couldn't find the heart. He was really serious about all this. Maybe even more serious about it than I was. I forced a small smile, which in the end didn't have to be forced at all. "…Whatever."

A flicker of relief glimmered in Seifer's cerulean eyes, a small grin tugging on the corners of his lips as well. This time it was I who held out my hand. He took it with not the slightest hesitation, shaking it heartily, and this time we both meant it.

Suddenly the moment of our newfound friendship came to an abrupt halt as we heard a loud crash upstairs, followed by angry cries.

"Let us in, damn you! We know you Forest Mages are in there!"

Laguna ran down, Naomi quickly following as she quickly and quietly shut the cellar door, locking it. "We have been caught," she said, face distraught. "Someone must have tipped off the city guards about our hiding place! If they find us, they will surely execute us for plotting the Queen's murder!"

"What do we do?" I asked, trying not to panic.

"I must go warn the other Forest Mages, and tell them to be at ready. You shall have to go to the castle dungeons by yourself."

"How?" Laguna implored.

Naomi ran toward a bookshelf and pulled it aside. Behind it was a door, leading down into a dark tunnel. "Take this passage, and _stay there_ until I come for you. Do not try to venture the castle alone unless you are in danger of being caught in the dungeons."

"How will you get out?"

By now there was a sound of splintering wood. They'd broken down the front door. We stood in silence as they began to pound on the cellar door.

"Don't worry about me! Just go!" 

We turned to the door, stopped, and turned back to Naomi. "But-"

But we didn't see her. Naomi had vanished into thin air. Literally.

"I guess it's a mage thing," Laguna shrugged, looking at both of us. "Let's go!"

We ran into the tunnel and I pulled the bookshelf back over behind me, just as I heard the city guards knock down the cellar door. 

***

Rinoa's had some crazy ideas in the past, and a lot of mood-swings -like that Dr. Odine's Bangle thing she tried to use on Edea, or that time I tried to rescue her and she shoved me down the stairs at the D-District Prison, for instance. But this one takes the cake. She gets a little scared in front of a mirror and all of a sudden we gotta go to Dratilia. Rinoa swears she saw Kyonae in the mirror, screaming and everything. Unless Kyonae's changed her identity to Bloody Mary of England, I'm kinda skeptical about the whole thing. But Rinoa's a sorceress, like it or not, and I guess we gotta believe her to some extent. But people appearing in mirrors…?

All I know is that there's a lot of crazy stuff goin' on, and if Rinoa's right, I'm willin' to believe anything.

Kyonae…she's getting all this attention and she doesn't even know it. They say she was executed, and for a while I believed it. But Galbadia had said the same thing about Almasy, and he turned out to be the Sorceress' Knight! It makes me wonder just what Dratilia's coverin' up about Kyonae. 

We were walking down the road now. I wasn't sure where we were going, but Rinoa seemed to know the way just fine. Ellone was right beside her, as if she knew the way as well. She's a quiet one, that Ellone…

Fujiin and Raijiin came up beside me. Seifer's Disciplinary Committee. His 'posse'. He couldn't ask for better friends in my opinion. They were really worried about him.

Fujiin looked up at me, her one cold steely gray eye illuminated in the threatening lightning. "WORRIED FOR SEIFER. YOU?"

"Nothin' to worry about, Fujiin. Seifer's a trooper, he'll stay in one piece."

"HM." She paused, adjusting her eye patch. I always wondered what happened to her eye. Of course, I also wondered why she never said more than three words per sentence, so I held my tongue. "SCARED FOR KYONAE. YOU?"

"Yeah," I admitted. "But she's a tough one too. She'll pull through, I'm sure."

Fujiin looked away, a bit depressed. "KYONAE. SEIFER. MET HIS MATCH. TWO EQUAL FORCES. FIRST ENEMIES. NOW FRIENDS. SEIFER LOVE KYONAE."

"He told you that?"

She smiled for the first time since I met her, a strand of silver hair falling down on her face as she pointed to her good eye. "FUJIIN. ONE EYE. CAN STILL SEE. LOVE."

"Really? Is that so?"

"REALLY." Her eye gleamed knowingly.

"So…if I could ask you a personal question…whatever happened to your eye?"

At first I thought I was dead in the water just for daring to ask a question like that. But her face brightened, flattered, as if no one had ever bothered to ask her before. Probably the case…

"WANT TO KNOW? REALLY? OKAY. FIGHT WITH SOLDIER. TIMBER. TOOK MY EYE. I TOOK ACTION. KICKED SORRY BUTT! SOLDIER. RAN AWAY SCREAMING!" She cried, doubling over in laughter at the mere memory. She calmed down, wiping a tear from her eye. "THANKS. NEEDED THAT."

"No prob." 

Suddenly we saw Dratilia ahead, a spectacular marvel from even this distance. Separating it and us was a short stretch of forest. But by the edge of the wood were two figures wrapped in red and green, waving at us.

"Who are they?" Quistis asked, her hand going automatically for her chain whip.

"I don't know, but I think they're Dratilian," Zell stated, grimacing, holding up his fists. "Let me at 'em-"

"Zell, no," Quistis ordered, waving him back. "I'm the instructor here, so I'll go and see."

She ran ahead cautiously down the gently sloping hillside, and after a few moments of talking to the two young women, she signaled the okay. "It's all right! Come on down!"

We followed, catching up with the instructor. "This is Eve and Ember. They're assistant leaders of the Forest Mage resistance faction."

"We thrive to pull Queen Maika from the throne," Eve said clearly, grimly. "Everyone claims she is a good ruler, but only because they live in too much fear of her powers to say different-"

"That's why we're gonna knock her off! Isn't that right, Eve?" Ember blurted out, obviously not the quiet type.

The flower mage groaned exasperatingly at the fiery redhead. "Will you please just shut it for a few moments?" she snapped. She turned back to us. "But despite Ember's crude way of putting it, yes, we intend to…'knock her off'. Your friends passed by a while ago and said you had a trained sniper among you. One named Irvine. Is that true?"

I stepped forward confidently, holding out my rifle as proof. "That'd be me. I take it you want me to knock off the old hag?"

Eve cringed at my crude words just as she had Ember's. "Ugh…It would be greatly appreciated. If you miss, we will be there for backup."

"Sure. Why not? But don't worry about backup. I never miss my target," I said coolly.

"Really? Never missed a target, eh?" Ember said haughtily, walking right up into my face, her glittering emerald eyes looking up skeptically into my violet ones. "I heard of you. You're the one who tried to assassinate Edea, right? That didn't work too well, did it?"

"Ember!" Eve gasped, scandalized. "Show respect; this man is volunteering to help bring an end to the oppression of the Dratilian people, and you are treating him like pond scum-"

"Oh, quiet down, Eve, he knows I'm kidding." She rolled her eyes, then looked at me again. "Don't ya, handsome?"

"Uh-sure," I said, smiling nervously under her glance. "I-I can take a joke. Sure."

Ember fluttered her eyelashes slowly at me, and I felt my face turn as red as her hair.

"Oh, really," Eve drawled, her arms crossed over her chest. "We do not have time for this! We must meet Nao-"

Suddenly a forked bolt of lightning struck down onto the ground behind the mages, causing a sudden blast of white light. When the light faded, a young woman with jet-black hair and robes was there.

Ember had shrieked, leaping up into my arms. "Sweet merciful Goddesses, Naomi! Don't you have a less intimidating way of appearing?" She complained, clutching at her chest. "Gosh, my heart's going so fast…oh, sorry," she added, climbing down from my arms and patting down her crimson robes casually.

Naomi, as her name obviously was, looked panicked. "Ember, Eve, we have been caught. Our hideout has been discovered and I barely made it out of there with my neck. But Leonhart and his friends are safe. They took the underground passage to the castle dungeons."

"Squall? What about Squall?" Rinoa piped up worriedly, running up to the thunder mage. "He is okay, isn't he? Was he hurt?"

"Calm yourself, Sorceress Rinoa," Naomi said calmly. "They are all fine. They escaped just before the guards came. But I came back to warn my faction, all the others who are living in this forest. They will be ready for any kind of attack. You are all safe in the hands of the Forest Mages."

"H-how did you know my name?" she asked, taken aback. "And h-how did you know that I'm-"

"I know many things, my dear sorceress. Thunder mages are born with the rare gift to read the cryptic scripts in the pupils of one's eyes, to read one's mind, so they know just when to strike at their enemy like a bolt of lightning knows when to strike the ground. That is why Maika is so dangerous. But there is no time to explain this. We must go, quickly, to the castle dungeons. Come, all of you- we must make haste!"

A/N: I'd like to apologize to any Ellone, Quistis, Selphie or Zell fans out there. I've read this through and I noticed I don't pay attention to them a lot. Sorry! Complain if you want to about it. I'll make them important somehow! Unless all who reads this are Ellone /Selphie / Quistis /Zell haters, well then…uh…keep reading. A little note about my three Dratilian mages up there-Naomi is obviously the obscure, dark one who speaks pure Dratilian (in other words, English w/out a lot of apostrophes) and she has all the Dratilian gifts-reading minds, sensing people's presences, etc. Eve is the calm, collected flower mage who is very poised and polite, and cannot stand Ember the fire mage's immaturity and crude tongue (she's half Flowerwoodish, a small town to the north of Dratilia, and just the fact she's a fire mage gives her a fiery attitude). And, if you didn't notice, Irvine might be getting a girlfriend after all…Please R/R!


	18. In The Corridors Of The Mages

A/N: I would really appreciate some of those reviews right about now.I'm running out of ideas. Also, extremely sorry if this is getting confusing.but of course, everything's confusing in the mind of Kyonae Falcona. Anyway, I can't tell you anything about what's going to happen, or it'll spoil the chapter. Please R/R! Please! My brother is being very annoying (his pen name is Raptor Dundee or something like that), telling me my story mustn't be all that good if no one's reviewing it. Prove him wrong, please, before I break his nose! Oh, and by the way, Ifala.YOU READ MY MIND. Finally someone spoke up. It is so much easier to write in the 3rd person.I just thought everyone liked it in 1st. Well, it shall stop as of now! It's way too hard! Thank you, Ifala.  
  
  
  
Chapter Eighteen: In The Corridors Of The Mages  
  
  
  
Kyonae laid there on the iced over floor for what seemed like hours, maybe even days, hell, what seemed like years. She was no longer cold. She was the very being of cold. All she felt was sadness, deep, extreme sadness that flooded through her empty being, a sadness that for once she couldn't elude. It felt like Trabia again, only a hundred times worse, numb, frozen to the very soul, held down by a burden of helpless anger and hate. But this time, Kyonae could not cry out loud enough for anyone to hear her, nor would anyone care. Even she could not find the strength and will power to care anymore.  
  
Lying there, many visions passed her eyes, glimpses of what Maika had left behind when she snatched away her very being, memories that had refused to dislodge themselves from her heart. All were bad. The day she left Edea's Orphanage, the day Trabia was destroyed, the many, many bad memories of the hospital, the day she received her fated scar, all the way up to where she was now, watching herself lying hopelessly on the floor, waiting to die. But something wouldn't allow her to die, not yet.  
  
One memory flashed before Kyonae, and she was very confused for a moment. Before her eyes played the remembrance of the SeeD Ball, dancing with Seifer. Through the numbness Kyonae could feel the warmth of his hand in hers, the brightness of the lights; she could see his scarred, yet warm and kind face before her, and could still hear the music.  
  
Someday out of the blue.  
  
Someday out of the blue.maybe, someday. But right now, Kyonae was still in the blue. The vision disappeared, and though she searched and searched she could not find it. Obviously it had been a good memory, and Maika had sensed it and snatched it away.  
  
The newfound sorceress suddenly heard footfalls outside of her prison; she heard soft voices and whispers and three presences. She smelled dust and soil and old stone. In her increasingly clouding mind flashed three images, almost instantaneously but she caught them before they slipped back into subconscious: Laguna, her father, Squall, her brother, and Seifer Almasy himself. Then they vanished and Kyonae was plunged into a different atmosphere. She heard louder voices and eleven presences. Humid wind blew across her face; she smelled coming rain and heard rumbling thunder. The images flashed into her mind just as the other three had. Rinoa, a sorceress' air around her. Selphie. Zell, the martial arts specialist. Quistis, her kind instructor. Irvine, a hero in her eyes. Fujiin, a silent friend and tough warrior. Raijiin, annoying yet brave. Three Dratilian mages named Eve, Ember and Naomi, and finally her dear sister Ellone who Kyonae had never met, smiling back at her in that fleeting moment she was there.  
  
They were coming for her. All of them. Coming to rescue her, and cause Maika's downfall. Kyonae sensed them, as she could suddenly sense the whispering of the guards down the hall about the celebration, the mice scattering about in the darkness of the dungeons- and even the dark, evil presence she felt in the tower, waiting, blacker than black itself like the Iaret, but worse. It was resting, gaining energy and power as fast as she was losing it, its very existance making her shudder in a quick spasm of fear.  
  
The Dark One, Kyonae Falcona.be aware of the Dark One.  
  
The voice, one Kyonae had never heard in her life and yet so familiar, with a thick, cryptic Dratilian accent, a young woman's voice, whispered vibrantly through her mind, melting momentarily through the ice and then was gone. Her thoughts quickly diverted back to her friends, who were coming ever closer.  
  
They were coming.and yet she felt no hope. Only shame.  
  
The trio entered the dank, dark space that was the Castle Dungeons. The air was heavy and still. They looked up occasionally to see old, forgotten skeletons hanging by their bony wrists, decaying bits of sinew holding them together. It wasn't a pleasant sight.  
  
"Ouch," Squall muttered, staring at one skeleton whose jawbone was wide open in a frozen scream, a sword plunged through his rib cage and into the slick stone wall. "That obviously hurt."  
  
"No kidding," Seifer agreed with him, looking at one that hung on the wall in chains, but its body below the waist was nowhere to be found. "These guys really knew how to live.and beat the crap out of each other."  
  
Laguna had turned a strange, slight shade of green and didn't make any comment.  
  
Suddenly they heard the sounds of guards coming swiftly toward the dungeons. They quickly pulled up their cloak's hoods, covering their faces entirely in the darkness.  
  
Two guards came into sight, and spotted them as well. "Hey! You!" they cried out abruptly.  
  
Seifer's black-gloved hand went swiftly for his Hyperion's handle. Had they been caught? Not without a fight, they wouldn't. They all froze; the blond heard the slight sound of Squall's Lionheart's metallic blade sliding slowly out of its scabbard as well, and Laguna going for his gun.  
  
".It is your turn to guard the Falcona girl. You were assigned the 18:00 shift, remember?"  
  
Squall, Seifer and Laguna all relaxed; their weapons at ease. "Yes sir, thank you sir," Squall said quickly, walking swiftly past them as Seifer and Laguna followed, faces down. "We shall go and guard the Falcona girl, sir."  
  
"That is what I like to hear from my cadets," the other guard said approvingly, yawning. "Oy, I need a nap."(author's note: so do I!)  
  
They turned around the corner, up the stairs, leaving the dungeons, breathing out a sigh of relief. "Well, so far so good," Seifer shrugged. "Which way do we go now?"  
  
"What? I thought you knew," Laguna protested quietly.  
  
"Oh never mind. We'll just have to split up, that's all," Squall said simply.  
  
"Split up? Son, do you know how big this castle is.?"  
  
"We've gotta try it," interrupted Seifer determinedly. He didn't give a damn how the large the castle was. "Squall, you go that way.and Laguna, you can go down that hall.and I'll go this way. We've gotta find Kyonae sooner or later. Maika can wait."  
  
Without another word they all went separate ways down the four way corridor, the torches on the walls lighting the way.  
  
***  
  
The large group entered the dungeons at exactly 18:00 hours, but there was no sign of Squall, Laguna or Seifer. Ellone became very scared for their lives, and the skeletons hanging on the walls did not help.  
  
She was scared for Kyonae as well. Like Laguna she'd seen her for the first time at the Ball, and it had been like a static shock, a chill down her spine when Ellone momentarily caught her glance. She had known the gunblading woman was special in some way from the very start, though Ellone hadn't known about the letter. Now, it seemed that her dear brave sister had gotten herself very involved in something that was hard to explain, and the quiet dark haired young woman hoped to find her soon. Then they'd all be together again, a perfect family, and the past would be forgotten.  
  
Of course, that nagging voice in the back of Ellone's head said, it was the past that brought them all together from the very beginning.  
  
They miraculously passed the sleeping guards without any trouble, as they snored louder than their footsteps. Naomi had told them that they should be able to move fairly freely here, since all the guards were out in the streets for the celebration. They traveled up the stairs and came into a four way corridor.  
  
"These are the Corridors of the Mages. This is where the mages of the royal army lived and studied in the days of Queen Lunora and her family. But they are quiet now, inhabited by naught but mice and dust."  
  
The fire mage sneezed loudly, her mane of red hair falling in her face. She sniffed, rubbing her nose lightly. "Sniff.I'll say."  
  
"Which way do we go now?" Selphie whispered quietly.  
  
Naomi studied the corridors, thinking. "Hmm.I do not know. I know the Sorceress' chambers are back that way, but to Kyonae.I do not know. She could have been placed anywhere."  
  
"Can't you.I don't know.point her out?" Ember asked, shrugging.  
  
"I could.just a moment." Naomi closed her eyes and inhaled, lowering into deep concentration. For a moment the air around her shimmered invisibly, vibrating. Then, her eyes and mouth snapped wide open in shock, and she stumbled to the beautifully carpeted floor, gasping slightly.  
  
"Naomi! What happened? Are you all right?" Eve gasped quietly, pulling up the fallen thunder mage.  
  
Naomi was dazed, catching her breath and shuddering as she spoke. "Something stopped me.it was keeping Kyonae away from me.it swiped at me, it felt so cold.an evil shadow."  
  
"Well, you'll not be trying that again," said Eve protectively, patting the shell-shocked mage soothingly on the shoulder. "We'll have to find her on our own."  
  
"Then we've gotta split up into groups," Ember quickly suggested, glancing sideways at Irvine. "I'll take Quistis and Irvine, and go down the west corridor!"  
  
"Then I shall take Zell and Selphie go down the south wing," the calm flower mage volunteered.  
  
"I will lead Sorceress Rinoa and Ellone down the north corridor. But that leaves us with only two to go down the east corridor, and without one of us to guide them." Naomi gazed silently at Raijiin and Fujiin. "Will you be all right?"  
  
"Hey, we can handle this, ya know? Don't worry about it, ya know?" Raijiin said casually, waving off the concerned remark.  
  
"WE. SEIFER. FIND. BEST FRIEND. DO ANYTHING," Fujiin replied determinedly, standing proudly beside Raijiin. Of course. They were Seifer's posse. Ellone barely knew them, but by the look in their eyes she could tell they'd search a hundred castles if needed be. True friendship. "BE. FINE. DON'T. WORRY."  
  
"Very well, then," Naomi nodded. "We must be going. Rinoa, Ellone, follow me."  
  
They parted ways there, and Ellone shivered though she wasn't cold. Something told her that something terrible and fearful was to happen this night.  
  
1 Squall, my brother, be careful.  
  
***  
  
Just by the feeling of the still, musty dry air, Squall Leonhart knew this corridor hadn't been traveled by in a long time. This was the north corridor; his dad had taken the west and Seifer the east. He kicked up small wispy clouds of dust as he walked, as it lightly coated everything from the intricately designed carpet, which was a pale blue, to the portrait covered walls, the portraits themselves strangely free of any dust at all. The faces of royalty and powerful mages seemed to stare blankly and icily down at him as he passed with pale blue eyes uncannily like his own, and mostly all of them had brown hair or white, or in one case, blue black, under a portrait labled Marinia Elmenti.  
  
He felt strange. He wasn't going to puke or anything, not that kind of strange. Squall felt strange, as if he'd been here before, like he knew where he was going. There were many doors along the way, and the gunblader tried them all, but they were all bolted shut. He felt as if he'd walked a mile down this corridor, and judging on the castle's size, he probably had.  
  
Finally Squall saw the end of the seemingly endless hall. It split into two side corridors, but the portrait at the end of this particular hall was what intrigued him.  
  
It was a portrait of a young woman, about his age, with strange yet beautiful pure, white hair like a unicorn's, a perfectly rounded pale face, deep pink lips and vaguely familiar silvery blue eyes that stared deeply into him even from the distance.  
  
Squall walked forward until he was about ten feet away from it, then abruptly stopped, unable to move. He suddenly felt very sluggish, tired and dizzy. His eyes fell down to the name on the portrait plaque:  
  
Princess Katarina Falcona.  
  
Suddenly the hallway was bright in torchlight, immaculate of dust and a fresh scent of life in the air, the rooms within the corridor buzzing with the energy of many young men and women studying spells behind the doors. The hall was empty, except for the little boy with shaggy brown hair standing on the pale blue carpet. Two figures passed him, Katarina and a young man with fine blond hair and crystalline blue eyes.  
  
Katarina saw him. "Now Squall," she sighed, smiling warmly yet nervously. "What are you doing out here? Mother will be worried sick when she finds you out of the nursery. Where is Sa-Shenu?" she picked him up from under the arms, hugging him warmly.  
  
"S-sorry, Katie," Squall stuttered. "I just w-wanted to play with you."  
  
"We shall play later, my little brother. We shall play for a million hours! But right now Sir Darion and I have matters to take care of. Run along, and I shall catch up."  
  
Without waiting to see if he obeyed, she turned and walked briskly for the portrait of herself, Sir Darion following. They stopped before it, making sure no one was around. Squall hid in a doorway, peeking out to watch them as they both took something small out of their pockets, two falcon necklaces.  
  
"Are you sure this will work, Darion? Your father is no fool."  
  
"It must work, Katarina, it will! He would not have the courage to use the pendant anyway, with the powers it possesses.he is no fool, but a coward he may be."  
  
"I do hope you are right, my love.come, there is still much work to do to the fake necklace if it is to look exactly like mine." she grabbed the frame of the giant portrait and pushed, and the picture swung inward on a hinge to reveal the small doorway to a secret room. Darion climbed in, and Katarina closed it behind her as she went in, looking around one final time.  
  
Squall snapped out of the trance, now on his knees on the old carpet, the air heavy, still and relatively dead. He coughed and gagged on the dust that flew up into his scarred face as he fell. Falcona.that was Kyonae's last name! Squall wondered, thinking back to the story he had overheard Naomi telling Seifer.  
  
As his cerulean eyes cleared and the dust settled back onto the ground, Squall saw something that made the hairs on the back of his neck bristle.  
  
Footprints.  
  
Yes, footprints. Footprints, belonging to a woman, had left their mark in the dust-caked floor, appearing right in front of him, traveling down the rest of the hallway, and disappeared at the front of Princess Katarina's portrait. They hadn't been there before, Squall was sure. How the hell.  
  
He slowly made his way toward the portrait, sweat running down his forehead and his heart beating rapidly in his chest. Squall had never believed in ghosts, but of course, an experience like this tends to change one.  
  
Laying his gloved hand on the ornate frame, he pushed gently into it, half hoping it wouldn't open. But it did open, slowly, creaking with age and showering a snow of dust down upon his form, leading into darkness.  
  
Squall lifted a torch from its hold on the wall. "Fire," he muttered softly, and flecks of red fire spurted from his fingertips, lighting it. Holding his breath, mustering all of his courage, Squall Leonhart climbed into the secret room of Katarina Falcona.  
  
***  
  
"Gosh, it's dark in here," Quistis Trepe heard Irvine say.  
  
"Just a second," Ember answered, and after a moment a small flame flared up wthin her palm, flickering soothingly through the darkness. The two looked on in amazement. "Uh- doesn't that, uh-hurt?" Quistis asked falteringly.  
  
"Heck no, Quistis. Been doin' this ever since I was a child. It's pretty easy once ya get the hang of it. Wanna try?"  
  
"Hmm, no thank you," she politely refused.  
  
Ember shrugged. "Your loss."  
  
Quistis looked around in the dim light of the flame. Many portraits hung on the walls, mostly of people with flaming red hair and stunning green eyes, grinning ferociously as they stood frozen within their frames. One mage looked especially fiery, a massive mane of curly red hair and bright green eyes, a cocksure grin set on her painted face.Kristinia Elmenti.  
  
"Aren't they lovely lookin' people?" Ember sighed dreamily. "I think the Elmenti mage is my great great great great great grandmother or something.yep, this is the Corridor of Fire. The greatest fire mages who ever lived studied and resided here.it was kinda like a medieval Garden. Yep, when Dratilia's liberated from that old lightning hag, and these corridors are put to use again, my face is gonna be on these walls, right next to ol' Kristinia's."  
  
Ember rambled on, and though Irvine hung onto every single word, the instructor continued to glance around, an edgy feeling crawling on her skin. Was Kyonae somewhere in this hall? And if not, what was? She, Quistis Trepe, had been trained against the toughest creatures the world has ever known, and instructed others- but here, in this castle, she felt as if she hadn't even taken her first SeeD test yet. Her skills seemed useless here. This was not Quistis' world. Her world was based on reality; if she could see it and touch it, it was real. But this world had no definite reality. It relied more on the source of strange, feverish dreams and trips to the past, apparitions in the mirror and the well known presence of powerful magic. She shivered slightly.  
  
Quistis was in Kyonae Falcona's world now.  
  
Kyonae.the instructor had checked her records as well. Before the Trabia accident, she had been almost a pefect student...best gunblader in the Garden, well equipped in magic, martial arts and happiness. Something had been jarred loose that fateful day, lost its grip and floated away. But still she came back, it seemed, from the dead.she became normal again, at least as normal as possible, but not the Kyonae she had read about and seen in her school photos. She had seen it in her eyes-they were alive and bright as they always had been.but just a hint of the death and darkness that possessed her memory. Quistis felt strangely sad. What had happened to her? Many people had made it out of the accident, alive and sane.though some didn't. She had tried to remind herself that everyone has different reactions to crisis, but now that she walked through the Corridor of Fire, in the kingdom of Dratilia, trying to rescue Kyonae from a sorceress.she was beginning to think there was much more to it than that.  
  
Quistis was broken from her deep thoughts by a small red lizard who scuttled out in her path, hissing at the instructor viciously, baring red fangs. She gasped, stepping backward. But obviously it was more afraid of her and scuttled back off into the darkness.  
  
"Fire lizards," Ember muttered, smiling. "Poisonous. But don't worry. That was just a baby, and you've got blue eyes. Fire lizards are scared of anything blue. Anyway, don't be frightened. Besides a few little reptiles, there ain't nothin' or no one in this corridor. They were all cleared out long ago."  
  
Suddenly the three heard a loud cry from farther down the corridor, the crier far away from our source of light. "HELP! SQUALL? SEIFER? .MOMMY?"  
  
Ember jumped up into Irvine's arms as she had done before in fright. "Sweet glorious goddesses.! They musta forgotten someone!" She looked at the cowboy, embarrassed, and quickly got down again. "Eheh.sorry.don't know why I keep doin' that."  
  
"Ts'all right," Irvine gulped nervously, straightening his hat, blushing in the dim firelight.  
  
"It's Laguna!" Quistis cried.  
  
Ember stared at the blond instructor disbelievingly. "You mean Laguna's been stuck here for six hundred years?"  
  
Quistis ignored the slightly ignorant fire mage, waving into the darkness. "We're over here, Mr. Loire!"  
  
Laguna's broad shouldered form came running toward them from the darkness of the corridor, a relieved look on his face. "Man, am I glad to see you guys! I got lost, it was so dark.what are you doing here?"  
  
"Naomi brought us here."  
  
"I figured. So, have you had any luck in finding Kyonae?"  
  
"Nope," Ember replied. "You?"  
  
"Well, obviously I can't find her if I'm lost," he snapped bitterly. "Jeez, I wish Kiros and Ward were here.I've got no sense of direction whatsoever, and they always used to point the group in the right direction when I screwed up."  
  
"Well, don't worry about a thing, Laguna," the fire mage said proudly. "I've got the best sense of direction Dratilia's ever seen!"  
  
"Great!" Irvine exclaimed happily. "Which way do we go, then?"  
  
Ember shut up, an uncertain look on her face. "Um."  
  
***  
  
Naomi, Rinoa and Ellone traveled down the north corridor, the Corridor of Ice, following a set of footprints that by the texture of the boots Rinoa knew were Squall's. They called his name, their voices echoing through the hall, but were drowned out by the silence that had settled in for six hundred years.  
  
"Oh, no, oh no," Rinoa began to mutter softly to myself, her heart wrenching in fear for her dear Squall. What had happened to him? Why couldn't he hear them calling?  
  
"Calm yourself, Rinoa," Naomi said calmly, still gazing straight ahead. "Nothing can harm us or Leonhart here. These footprints will lead us to him."  
  
The thunder mage had scared Rinoa slightly from the moment they had met her. She was much too dark and brooding, though deep inside she knew that they could trust her, she seemed to know much more about this than she let on, as if the truth was better off obscure.  
  
"I apologize if my manner perturbs you, Rinoa," she broke the silence with her plain tone of voice, catching the sorceress off balance. "But you can trust me. I wish harm to no one but those who have brought plague unto my city. Indeed the truth is better off within the safety of the shadows, for now. Most of it is a mystery to me anyway."  
  
Rinoa nodded quickly, clasping her hands in front of her as she walked, desperately trying to stop thinking as she realized that Naomi could hear her thoughts. Obviously Naomi sensed this also and laughed mockingly.  
  
"Stop fighting your need to think, Sorceress," Naomi said, a small, strange smile forming on her dark lips. "I do not wish to read your thoughts every second. Only when I feel it is necessary. It is a gift of thunder mages, as I have said before."  
  
"What other gifts do you have?"  
  
"Well.there is the gift of telepathy, reading your thoughts for instance. The gift to extract information I want from the mind to the tongue, should telepathy fail as it usually fails. The gift of extrasensory perception; I can sense the presence of an enemy when my eyesight decieves me. Also the gifts of healing, and harming. And finally.the power to overpower the mind, to make one become a helpless puppet which only I can control."  
  
"That sounds so."  
  
"Cruel? Yes it is. But only in the hands of evil. If it is used properly, for the purposes of good, then it becomes that."  
  
Rinoa stared down at the pale blue carpet. "Squall always said that there was no good or evil- just two different sides, blaming the other, holding different perspectives."  
  
"Leonhart is a very wise young man beyond his years, Rinoa, and in some respects he is right. But evil and good do exist. Evil does not blame good- it envies it. Evil wants to destroy good so it is now the perfect one. Good loathes evil, smudging its purity, injuring its pride and people, and wants to destroy evil to be rid of its dark presence. But in doing so they would destroy themselves, for without good there is no evil. They are one, you see? They are the same, yet different, and that is why there is conflict. They become themselves."  
  
"Like Squall and Seifer." Ellone offered quietly, then fell into silence as if she thought she was wrong.  
  
Naomi smiled again with approval. "The perfect example, Ellone. Almasy envied Leonhart, did he not? He wanted to be the one everyone looked at. In turn, Leonhart loathed Almasy for giving him the fated scar, injuring his silent pride and hurting the ones he loved, and wanted to defeat him for the purpose of ridding the world of Almasy's seemingly harmful ways. They became themselves, blaming, loathing and envying each other for their problems. Both philosophies go hand in hand. But we have nothing to fear of those two. They are good friends now."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Oh, yes, Ellone. Leonhart saw the softer side of his adversary. Almasy sought forgiveness from his opponent. I could tell they were always meant to be allies, but. sometimes, things do not work out the way we plan them to..." She said this last sentence with strange regretfulness, and for what seemed to be the hundredth time both Rinoa and Ellone wished they knew what was going on in the thunder mage's mind.  
  
"Um, Naomi.the thing you said about thunder mages and their gifts.does Sorceress Maika possess them too?" Rinoa asked.  
  
Naomi's eyes went soft, finally averting from their straight ahead vigil and looking at Rinoa with a mix of graveness and fear. She nodded grimly.  
  
"Would she use them on Kyonae?"  
  
She nodded again even more grimly, sadly. "Evil consumed her soul in the event of her daughter's death. Love is a force of good, but it turned her heart to stone towards everyone but her daughter, Sanya. She cares for no one but Sanya now. Maika took Kyonae from the orphanage of Edea." She drifted off, looking uncharacteristically crushed. Her mask of quiet confidence quickly returned, and the thunder mage shook her head almost deniably, dismissing whatever thought that had plagued her mind. "We should be getting near the end of the corridor now."  
  
Indeed they did, in front of a portrait of a Princess Katarina, where to Rinoa's dismay Squall's footprints stopped abruptly in front of, so sign of them going down either of the two ways. But now, there were two sets of footprints, the new set noticeably smaller than Squall's.  
  
"Oh no!" Rinoa gasped. "Someone else was here! They might've captured him!"  
  
"Maybe he found Kyonae.?" Ellone said wonderingly.  
  
"There's a sign of struggle.look," Naomi said, pointing to a place in Squall's path where there were knee and handprints. "He fell. But where would his captor have taken him? There aren't any other trails."  
  
As the thunder mage swept into silent thought, Rinoa noticed Ellone approach the portrait, looking almost hypnotized as her eyes stared reproachfully up at the noble face of the Princess. Her hand went up and touched the portrait lightly, her index finger tracing the shape of the small silver amulet around the princess' neck.  
  
"Hmm."  
  
***  
  
Meanwhile, in the Corridor Of Flowers, Selphie, Eve and Zell were glancing at the pictures and tapestries on the walls. Most of the men and women had either golden, brown, or green locks of hair and deep purple or green eyes, smiling softly and with dignity down at their beholders.  
  
The entire hall smelled of fresh flowers, and a warm, humid air drifted about. Selphie looked on in wonder and amazement. "Wowee, who is that?" she asked at random, pointing at a picture of a young woman with deep green hair and bright purple eyes.  
  
"Ugh." Eve sighed. Selphie had been doing this for nearly half an hour now. "That would be my greatest of ancestors, Cadineris Elmenti. She and her sisters, in her time, had saved the world from near destruct-"  
  
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," the hyper brunette waved the story aside, pointing to another portrait, and another, and another. "Who's that? And that? And that?"  
  
"Selphie, maybe you should relax a little," Zell laughed, pointing at Eve, who was developing a very noticeable twitch under her left eye. "You're gonna make her have an aneurysm!"  
  
"Now that is enough!" Eve finally cried indignantly, turning to them and blocking them from going any further down the corridor. It was like babysitting children with these two! As she glared at them venomously, they cringed in fear, both of them. "How in the name Blossoma did you two ever become SeeDs? Do they just give those SeeD uniforms away from where you're from? I am trying to be very patient, but you are working on my final nerve- SO SHUT IT!!!"  
  
They looked at her in fright, mouths wide open and pointing with shock, speechless.  
  
Eve looked smugly at them. "Scared of me, are you? Well you should be! I may look like a little daisy to be trod upon, but I have a very poisonous attitude when need be! May that be a lesson to you.what? Why do you keep staring at me? I'm not that intimadating, am I?"  
  
"S-s-s-s-" was all the two could make out.  
  
"Sorry? Oh, dear.it is quite all right. I accept your apology. Nothing to stutter about." she turned to proceed down the hall, but very much to her surprise a very big thing was blocking her way. It was a monstrously large green snake, raising itself to her height, long and vinelike with leaves sprouting about its scaly back, two lilypad flares stretching out on its head. It stared back at the shocked flower mage with large red eyes, opening its mouth to reveal long, venomous green fangs that dripped bright green poison.  
  
"S-s-s-s-" Eve began stuttering herself, trembling with fright.  
  
"SNAKE!" Selphie screamed. Everyone took out their weapons; Eve's was a long willow wand.  
  
"Stand back!" she cried confidently, pointing it at the Vinosnake. She said something in another language, and there was a flash of pink light.  
  
When the light faded, the Vinosnake was still there, an extremely large buttercup resting like a crown on its head, a thin vine cast around it. But the Vinosnake tensed its muscles and the vine snapped and fell uselessly to the ground, though the flower remained attached to its head. It hissed loudly in rage.  
  
"Oh, great, now we're gonna get killed by a pretty snake!" Selphie cried in dismay.  
  
"Oh, my," Eve moaned at her futile effort, backing away from the angered Vinosnake. The chlorophyllic reptile threw its head back and shrieked, then lunged for Selphie, fangs bared.  
  
CRACK!!! A flash of black, blue and blond stepped quickly between them, a knuckle gloved fist shooting out and landing with extreme force upon the side of the Vinosnake's ugly head, cracking its skull with a sickening crunch. It fell to the green carpeted floor, twisting and writhing and shrieking in pain until another fist came down and silenced it; then it lay motionless and dead.  
  
Zell wiped his hands on the front of his knee highs, cleaning off the vemnomous snake drool, looking smug.  
  
Eve stood breathless, amazed at their savior. "I.I must say, Zell Dincht.that was.that was.extraordinary."  
  
1.1 "It was amazing, too!" Selphie cried with delight. "What a hit! Wow, Zell! That was so brave of you!"  
  
Zell grinned boyishly at the spunky brunette, blushing. "Really?"  
  
"Really, really."  
  
"Heh, well.anything for you, Selph."  
  
It was Selphie's turn to blush now. "Aw, Zell."  
  
Eve glanced nervously down at the crumpled body of the Vinosnake. "Hmm.I would say that it is time to turn back, eh? Kyonae couldn't possibly be down here anyway.ugh, such dreadful creatures."  
  
Refusing to go any farther, the group turned back quickly to escape the Corridor of Flowers, to go and find Naomi up the Corridor of Ice. Zell and Selphie followed the flower mage, smiling at each other warmly and holding hands.  
  
A/N:Aw.how cute.I had to write a little ZellxSelphie sooner or later. This chapter really wasn't finished, but on this Microsoft page counter it says I've done ten pages and I think it's time to end it. It'll continue in Ch.19, where we'll see how Seifer, Fujiin, and Raijiin are doing in the east corridor, and who will find Kyonae first. (Guess who? I dare you to guess when and if you review!) Oh, by the way Ifala, is this better? I think it is. Sorry to everybody who doesn't like all this fantasy stuff- I'm reading this cool book called the Sword of Shannara and I keep getting all these cool ideas. Any suggestions? Questions? Please review! Just don't flame, 'cause self esteem's all that's keepin' me goin' here. I mean, you might and I can't stop you, but you might get a nasty reply in return.but if you've read this far, you obviously like it so I won't pursue in the matter. Once again, please review! ( 


	19. Just...Leave...Me...Be

A/N: This is a very, VERY sad chapter, and though I tried my damned-est to make a bit funny, there wasn't much that I could do. Eight pages of good wholesome, angsty sap, just like Mom used to make. So please read and review.  
  
Chapter Nineteen: Just Leave Me Be  
  
  
  
Seifer searched endlessly through the east corridor, named the Corridor of Thunder. Elaborately framed portraits covered these walls as well, showing mages that all looked darkly into the beholders eyes with either bright yellow or shocking blue eyes, pale skin and shocking yellow or ebony black hair, as was one named Justinia Elmenti.  
  
The floor was of black marble, and each footstep Seifer took made a sound that sounded typically like thunder. The air was tense and seemed to crackle with invisible energy that ran up and down the young blond, as if analyzing him. There was no dust anywhere, as if it had been obliterated by the energetic air.  
  
Kyonae was here. Seifer could feel it.  
  
His Hyperion was out and ready. He felt as if he were in danger, walking down this hall. Something was watching him, waiting for him. Maybe it was the electric charge in the air, maybe not, but just in case.  
  
Suddenly he saw a figure ahead of him, standing by a door. His eyes must have been playing tricks. The figure was nearly transparent, but he saw it was the shape of a young woman. The shade had spotted him also.  
  
"Kyonae.?"  
  
But it wasn't Kyonae. It was someone else, someone Seifer strangely recognized. The shade was running forward, her footsteps making no sound on the sensitive marble floor, her arms stretched out to him.  
  
"Darion."  
  
Suddenly Seifer went under some sort of spell. He slowly stretched out his arms, reaching for the shade, something awakening in his subconcious and pushing his concsious self aside for a moment. He knew who she was now.  
  
1 "Katarina."  
  
Seifer and the shade of Katarina briefly touched, her translucent, ghostly hands clasped in his solid, live ones, eyes locked in a love that had not died, even after six hundred years.then she disappeared, melted into the air, a cold blast of wind hitting Seifer in the face, waking him.  
  
"Huh.? What." he muttered to himself, catching his breath. What had just taken place here? Why had the shade called him Darion? And how did he know she was Katarina?  
  
He shook his head dully. It didn't matter. His eyes locked solely on the door the shade had been standing by, and somehow he knew:  
  
Kyonae was in there.  
  
He walked ahead to the door, a cold foglike mist coming from beneath it. He wriggled the knob, and it was locked. Of course.  
  
"Kyonae?" he called hopefully.  
  
There was no answer.  
  
Oh, well. Easy enough. Backing up against the opposite wall, smiling with confidence, Seifer rushed forward and rammed his entire being heroically into the wooden door.  
  
THUD. The door did not budge, and the brave blond hit the door with a solid thud and fell unceremoniously to the floor, twitching slightly and groaning loudly in pain. It had always worked in the movies. "Ohh.dammit."  
  
The door had been jarred badly, however, and broke from its hinges and fell on top of Seifer, causing the poor young blond yet even more pain. "Ouch! Son of a."  
  
He pushed the dislodged door away from his fallen form, looking upward. The door itself had been broken down, but the thick wall of ice behind it hadn't. How ironic.  
  
Pulling himself to his feet, Seifer pressed his hands against the glacial wall. It was pure, solid ice, at least a foot thick, the contents of the room within distorted by its translucent form. "Kyonae?" he called again. For a moment he thought he heard something through the ice, but it quickly faded.  
  
He clenched the handle of his trusty Hyperion. "Get away from the wall!" he warned, his voice magnified by the energy of the air around him.  
  
He began slashing mercilessly at the wall of ice, at the same time casting Fire spells. Each blow became more intense as his anger and determination grew. Nothing was going to stop him from reaching Kyonae, especially not this damned wall.  
  
The ice finally gave way, and he rammed through, hitting the floor within shards of glass like ice. He rose, staring in a mix of wonder and horror at the room.  
  
The floor itself was ice, creeping up the walls and reaching downward in long, pike-like icicles from the ceiling. Chunks of wall lie frozen on the floor, as if someone had tried in furious rage to blast their way out with Blizzaga. Snowflakes fell lightly and unexplainably from the ceiling. It was way below zero in this room, and his breath escaped in puffs of mist.  
  
"Kyonae." he called, though softly, as to not disturb the potentially dangerous icicles hanging above him. "Are you in here? I know you are. Where are you?"  
  
His ears once again picked up a sound. Wherever she was, she was singing- softly, almost inaudible, sounding desperately pitiful. He followed the sound, behind the bed and past the mirror, to the middle of the spacious ice prison.  
  
Where Seifer saw Kyonae Falcona.  
  
He could not move at first. His breath caught in his chest, his heart froze, his eyes going wide. The Hyperion clattered uselessly to the ground with a metallic chink. "No.Kyonae."  
  
She laid on the floor in a crumpled heap under a pale blue cloak, still and motionless. Her brown hair was snow ridden, her eyebrows frosted with ice. Her complexion was a dead white, her lips going a disturbing shade of blue. Dark blue beads of ice bit into her lower eyelids down her cheeks like tears, her eyes half open, looking dead because she had no pupils. She was mumbling incoherently though her frozen lips barely moved, barely noticing Seifer was there. Kyonae was on the brink of sanity.  
  
Whatever had held him back for those fleeting moments now released its grip, and Seifer rushed to her side, kneeling down and sweeping her body up into his strong arms, gripping tightly. "Kyonae!" he cried, risking the danger of falling ice. She turned her head slowly to face him, eyes widening slightly.  
  
"Kyonae, are you all right?" he asked. It was a stupid question, but he asked anyway.  
  
He hoped for once that she would reply with her usual 'I'm fine', shrug it away and get up with a smirk; he prayed for it. But she didn't. Her eyes grew soft and unexplicably sad, and she shook her head weakly, shutting her eyes tightly. It was as if she could not bear to look at him.  
  
"Hyne.Quistis was right.they did kill you," Seifer choked, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. He pulled her close, holding her tightly against his chest. The slightest touch of her skin made him shiver with cold, but he didn't care about that. Only about Kyonae.  
  
She made a feeble attempt to push away, but she could barely even speak. "S-Seifer.?"  
  
He nodded eagerly, smiling through his tears. "Yes. Yes, it's me, Kyonae. I'm here, and everything's going to be all right-" he rose his hand to brush a frozen lock of hair from her pale face, and Kyonae flinched away, visibly scared, raising her hands to cover her face.  
  
"What.? Kyonae, no. I'm not going to hurt you, Kyonae.it was an accident, I swear. Please believe me, I would never have done it on purpose, I-"  
  
She shook her head sadly, her eyes still shut tight, hands clamped over her face. "You.d-don't.you don't understand." her voice was cracked and dry, struggling to be heard.  
  
"I don't understand what?"  
  
"You don't.realize.what.what I am." She struggled to escape Seifer's grip, trying to rise to her feet, and he helped her up, and she feebly pushed him away, leaning on the table for support. "You don't know what I've.become."  
  
"Kyonae.what are you talking about?"  
  
She stared at me weakly, trembling slightly as she struggled to stay on her feet. She mumbled something, but he couldn't hear it. "What?"  
  
She drew in a shaky, raspy breath and said clearly, loudly, "I am a sorceress, Seifer."  
  
Seifer immediately froze. "Kyonae.?"  
  
"I've been a sorceress since I was a child. That's how I knew the Iaret was in the city. That's how all those soldiers couldn't come near us afterwards. That's how I knew the Garden was going to be attacked. That's how I saved you that day. It was all sorceress powers, from the very beginning, and now Maika.she wants to." she paused, cutting herself off.  
  
"Kyonae.why didn't you tell me?" Seifer asked gently, recovering from the initial shock.  
  
"Why didn't I.why didn't I tell you?" her voice grew cold, her eyes glaring icily with shame. "Why do you think? You think I wanted everyone to know what I was?"  
  
"I didn't ask you why you didn't tell everyone," he retorted calmly. "I asked you why you didn't tell me."  
  
"Seifer." the shame had spread from her eyes to her entire face, staring at the blond disbelievingly. "You were the last person I ever wanted to know about this. I never hated you-I couldn't. You were a sorceress' knight. I always felt so ashamed when I spoke badly towards you, because then I'd look in the mirror.and I'd realize I was worse than you. I was a sorceress. But look at you now. You're shocked, aren't you? I could see you cringe. Go ahead then! Cringe! Scream! Be afraid of me and run away! You know you want to leave, right now, and leave me here- so why don't you just do it? Why won't you just leave me alone? That's all I ever wanted anyway, because it was all I ever got-so run! As fast as you can, Seifer! Everyone runs away from the sorceress!" her voice rose so rapidly and so angrily it vibrated the ice walls, and several of the icicles came crashing down between them, forcing Seifer back towards the door. But that's as far as he got before he stopped, refusing to take another step.  
  
"Why won't you leave, Seifer?" she continued in a whisper. "Why won't you stop staring at me? It's bad enough everyone else does. You must hate me for all I've done to you. So why don't you just admit it? Sooner or later, everyone else will.you can be the first."  
  
Seifer stood for a moment. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Kyonae actually believed that he hated her. Why? Just because she was a sorceress? Was she that ashamed of herself, that she assumed others were ashamed of her too? It made no sense. It didn't matter to him what she was.it was who she was. Slowly he stepped forward and knelt down, grasping her frigid hands in his.  
  
"Kyonae.could I be your knight?" Seifer asked, looking up at her in hope.  
  
Her bitter look softened, turning to suspicion. "Wh-what? What are you talking about.?"  
  
"If you are to be a sorceress, Kyonae, I want to be your knight," he said. "I want to protect you from harm, and evil, and.help you save the world from total destruction," he added with a small smile.  
  
"You mean.It was you.?"  
  
"Yes. But that's not the point. The point is, I need to be your knight. Whatever you decide, I'll follow you. I'll stay by your side always and protect you. Will you let me, Kyonae? Will you let me be your knight?"  
  
She stared down at me, a faint glimmer of hope in her eyes. But it died quickly. "No, Seifer. No." She pulled her hands from my grasp.  
  
"Why not? Kyonae-"  
  
"Because.I can't let you ruin yourself. You're a SeeD now, Seifer. It's what you've always wanted. It was your dream. Follow your dream, Seifer.not me."  
  
"But you are my dream," he persisted, standing up.  
  
"Dammit, Seifer!" her eyes burned icily with hopeless anger, but not directed at Seifer. "Look at me, will you? Just stop with the act for a minute and look at me! I'm an ice sorceress. Can't you tell, or are you really that blind? I'm practically dead, and by sunrise I'll probably be just that. And if you don't want to die, Seifer, I suggest you leave, right now, and take everyone with you. Leave and don't look back. Because if Maika finds out you're here, if she doesn't know already, she'll kill you."  
  
"But."  
  
"LEAVE!" she bellowed warningly, more icicles falling and crashing to the snow covered floor with force. Weakened by her sudden outburst, she leaned harder on the table, falling on one knee, her head hanging. She couldn't seem to be able to cry.  
  
"Kyonae?" Seifer asked, looking down at the pitiful, trembling figure.  
  
"Please, Seifer.just.leave.me.be," she said, her voice declined to a harsh whisper. Her eyes were lowered to the floor. "I'm sorry, but.it is best if you just go. I'll be fine, really, I just.need to face this alone. I don't want you to be here, when."  
  
She said no more. Seifer stared at her in confusion and hurting. Kyonae didn't want him to be here when what? What did she need to face alone? He knew she was lying when she said she would be fine, because obviously she wasn't. He felt his heart hardening quickly towards this young woman. If she wanted him to go, he'd go...  
  
"Fine," he said abruptly, tone growing cold as he became steadily angry. "You don't want anyone to help you? Fine. I don't care. You know, it isn't a surprise you're Squall's twin.you're both too damn stubborn for your own frickin' good. I don't suppose you knew about that, did you?"  
  
"I knew."  
  
"Well, you wanna know something else? We came all the way here to find you, all of us. And it's really damn ironic when you come to rescue someone who doesn't want to be rescued. So, you know what? I don't frickin' care anymore. Here's your stupid necklace!" he ripped it off his neck and threw it before her. "I'm tired of this! My life was bad enough before you came along with your stupid sob story, Kyonae! I wish I'd never let you battle me that day in the Training Center, hell, I wish I'd never known you at all!"  
  
Each word that escaped his lips was like a hard lash to the face with a whip. But Kyonae took them without complaint, staring numbly at his feet where the necklace lay. She nodded slowly, understandably.  
  
"I know. I'm sorry. It's all my fault.from the very beginning.all my fault."  
  
Seifer was slightly taken aback by this agreement, but he shook it off. Any love he had felt before had been replaced by pure bitterness. She was turning him away.he wasn't going to go without a fight. "You know, you're right." He took her Talon from his belt, and plunged it into the frozen ground. "Here. I brought this for you. Not that you'll be needing it, huh, Sorceress?" he spat, and watched her flinch with strangely no satisfaction at all. Looking disgusted, picking up his fallen Hyperion, he turned to go.  
  
"Seifer."  
  
He turned back abruptly. "What?"  
  
She didn't bother to raise her magnificent head as she spoke in an expressionless tone. "I." she sighed. "Fujiin and Raijiin are coming. I just thought you should know."  
  
The young blond nodded curtly, and taking one last look at the weakening sorceress, stepped through the space he had made in the glacial wall. With a whisper from Kyonae, the wall regenerated back into its original form.  
  
Seifer stormed back out into the hall, caught up in a silent raging war between hate and love. Soon enough he saw Fujiin and Raijiin running toward him from ahead, and he forced a smile. The three friends cried out in joy, embracing each other with hearty slaps on the back and a huge hug from Fujiin. He didn't need Kyonae. He had his posse.  
  
"We've been searchin' all over for ya, ya know?" Raijiin sighed in relief. "Ya had us worried, ya know?"  
  
"You were worried? Come on, Raij, you know me. I'm a tough guy."  
  
Fujiin looked at him eagerly. "SEIFER. KYONAE?"  
  
"Yeah, I found her," Seifer said bitterly. "But she's a sorceress now, so she doesn't seem to want to leave. So I left her where she was."  
  
The one eyed woman's expression turned hard. "LEFT HER?! YOU. CRAZY?!" her voice was magnified a hundred times louder by the electrically charged air.  
  
Seifer backed away, confused by her anger. "Wha-"  
  
Abruptly Fujiin turned on her heel and continued at a brisk pace down the hall. "RAGE!"  
  
The blond ex-knight glanced at Raijiin in confusion. "What was that all about?"  
  
Raijiin shrugged. "I don't know, ya know? She seemed, like, confident that you were going to bring Kyonae back, ya know? Guess she's kinda upset. Ya know?"  
  
He rushed ahead as they came to end of the Corridor of Thunder, turning the corner into the single side hall. "Fuj, what's up? Why are you so mad?"  
  
Her single steely gray eye glared at him. "YOU. DON'T KNOW. SERIOUSLY?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"HOW COULD YOU? LEAVE. KYONAE?"  
  
"She didn't want to come, Fujiin. I told you. She told me to just go, that she'd be fine."  
  
"AND. YOU. ACTUALLY. BELIEVED HER? IDIOT."  
  
"What was I supposed to believe?"  
  
"OH. I. DON'T. KNOW. MAYBE. YOUR OWN EYES?" She groaned irritably. "JUST BECAUSE. SHE SAYS. SHE'S FINE. DOESN'T MEAN. SHE IS. DAMMIT!"  
  
"Fujiin, will you please just shut up?" Seifer snapped, holding his head. "I don't want to talk about it."  
  
"WHAT. DID YOU SAY?"  
  
"What d'ya think I told her? I told her I wished I never met her and I didn't care what she did."  
  
Fujiin shook her head in disgust. " LIAR. STUPID IDIOT LIAR. RAGE! YOU LOVE HER. ADMIT IT, LIAR!"  
  
Seifer looked away stubbornly, ahead to the end of the north corridor where Rinoa, Ellone, and Naomi stood. "I don't want to talk about it," he repeated.  
  
Naomi the thunder mage spotted them, and smiled lightly. "Seifer, Fujiin, Raijiin! Did you have any luck, my friends?"  
  
His friends remained silent, Raijiin because he wasn't so sure, and Fujiin simply because she refused to talk any more. Seifer looked back at them, relieved that they didn't say anything, then back to Naomi. "No. No luck."  
  
Naomi's bright yellow eyes bore into his for a fleeting moment, and immediately he knew she could see the lie plainly written on his face like ink. But like his posse, she kept silent also, nodding curtly.  
  
Just then four figures met them from the opposite side corridor: Irvine, Quistis, Ember, and Laguna. "Thank the godesses we found you, Naomi! We got completely lost!" the redhead cried in relief, throwing up her hands. "We found Laguna though. So, anybody find out where Kyonae is?"  
  
Before anyone could answer the fiery young woman, three figures appeared from the dark of the Ice Corridor: Zell, Selphie, and Eve. "Oh, my goodness, Naomi, we have been looking everywhere for you! We were attacked by a great Vinosnake in the Corridor of Flowers, where this young man showed such aspiring bravery." Eve gestured briefly at Zell, who reddened slightly. "And we came back to find you. Any luck?"  
  
"No." The mage shook her ebony haired head gravely. "No one has found her as of yet. Strange.you would think that maybe she would have been placed in the east corridor, since Maika is one of lightning." she glanced absent mindedly at Seifer, who stared stonily back. "Right now we are trying to discover the whereabouts of Leonhart. Two sets of footprints lead up to this portrait, then nothing more. Strange."  
  
Seifer gazed for the first time at the portrait hanging on the wall, and gasped to himself. Her silvery unicorn hair and pale blue eyes made no mistake.it was Princess Katarina.  
  
Ember walked up to it and looked down at the footprints, then up at the portrait like some kind of detective. "Hmm." She placed her hand on it and leaned casually, going into deep thought.  
  
Suddenly the portrait gave way on her, swinging inward, her unsupported weight flying into the dark space within. "Ow! By Firaga's frill." she cursed loudly.  
  
Eve looked on in amazement at the stairs leading downward into a room. "A secret passageway!" she gasped. "Why Ember, my dear, you're a genius!"  
  
"No, my dear Eve, I'm in extreme pain!" she retorted mockingly, rubbing her crimson head gingerly as she pulled her self to her feet and climbed out. She shook a fists angrily at the flower mage. "Genius.I'll give you 'genius'.I'll give you plenty of 'genius'.hell, I'll give ya so much genius it'll be coming out your-"  
  
"Squall must be down there!" Rinoa interrupted, hope gleaming in her eyes. "Maybe he found Kyonae!"  
  
"Really? Ya think so?" Ember said, lowering her fists. "Well in that case, remember it was I who found it."  
  
"Come, all of you. Leonhart is sure to be down in the secret room. We may find him, but I am not sure if we shall find Kyonae." Naomi held the portrait open like a door for the large group as they climbed in and down the stairs one by one.  
  
Rinoa climbed in first, already calling the gunblader's name. "Squall! Squall, are you down there?"  
  
"This is sooo exciting!" Selphie exclaimed, hopping down the stairs and pulling Zell in after her. "Come on, Zelly!"  
  
"Don't call me 'Zelly'," the shadow boxer grumbled, though everyone could see he was smiling.  
  
"I hope Squall is all right," Quistis muttered softly, the constantly worried instructor that she was. "I hope he isn't hurt.these castles are dangerous; anything could've happened to him."  
  
"Indeed you are right, Trepe," Naomi nodded. "But we should not worry. If he was your pupil, he will most definitely be fine.  
  
Reassured and slightly flattered, Quistis climbed in.  
  
"Man, I really wish Kiros and Ward were here." Laguna groaned before following the instructor.  
  
"I'm not afraid of nothin' or nobody," Irvine boasted to Ember, obviously trying to impress her. "Just stick by me and you'll be fine."  
  
"What a coincidence, I'm not afraid of anything either," Ember declared proudly. The romantic cowboy gave her a skeptical look, and she smiled nervously, shrugging. "Eheh.most of the time."  
  
"This is weird stuff, ya know? Secret passages, mages, stuff like that.I don't know if I can take it, ya know?" The broad shouldered Raijiin said edgily.  
  
"Calm yourself, Raijiin," the flower mage said soothingly, patting him gently on the shoulder as she smiled warmly. "It will all work out fine, I'm sure."  
  
"Ya really think so, ya know?" he looked back at her briefly as he climbed in.  
  
"I really do.you know," she added, giggling at her own attempt to copy him as she followed him.  
  
Fujiin passed Naomi, gazing silently into the thunder mage's yellow eyes with her gray one for a moment, not saying anything. But Naomi understood.  
  
"Yes, yes, I know he lied," she assured the silver haired Fujiin softly under her breath. "Do not let it bother you, Fujiin.I will handle it."  
  
Only after this did Fujiin nod briefly, affirmatively, and climb down into the secret passage.  
  
Ellone climbed in. "My.it's very dark.I hope Squall is all right."  
  
Seifer hastily tried to pass her, trying to avoid the thunder mage's gaze, but to no avail. With a small gesture of her finger Seifer's face faced her own, looking fearful and guilty for his lie.  
  
"If she refused to come with you, Almasy, there was nothing else you could do. She is most likely under the power of Maika. That is probably why she was placed in the Corridor of Thunder, so her powers would be weak against the Queen. But lying to your fellow companions will not help matters. It will only make things more complicated. Do you understand?"  
  
He nodded. "I'm sorry," he muttered thickly.  
  
"It is all right, Almasy. When we find the secret room, and Squall, there will be enough time to tell them. They will understand. They trust you now."  
  
"But-Naomi-" he added quickly. "Kyonae told me that we should leave and forget about Maika, that she would handle it herself."  
  
"Are you insisting that we abort the mission?"  
  
Seifer looked into her eyes, uncertain. Naomi bore into his eyes as well, analyzing his thoughts. He was fighting a war against his feelings, a war for which there was no certain victor. On one side there was his desperate love for Kyonae- the part of him that loved her more than even his own life and wanted to stay by her side no matter what.and then, the frustrating hate, the part of him that wanted to return to his normal life without the young woman, without all the trouble and pain she had unintentionally caused him. The battle raged on even as Seifer gave his answer, his face bitterly set.  
  
"I guess I have no choice but to keep going, do I?" With that, he broke the gaze and headed down the stairs.  
  
Naomi sighed to herself, watching his figure follow the others. That Seifer Almasy.he really did have no choice but to go onward.in fact, it was far too late for any of them to turn back from this.  
  
The thunder mage pushed the portrait shut, and followed her friends into the descending darkness, trying to shake off the feeling that something was watching them from afar.  
  
  
  
A/N: I forgot to ask.does anyone object to a Zell/Selphie and a Raijiin/Eve pairing? I've been planning on doing a Zell/Selphie pairing for a while but I just came up with Raijiin and Eve on complete impulse.please tell me what you think! I need opinions! ( 


	20. The Secret Room(for lack of a better tit...

Chapter Twenty:  
  
  
  
Squall could not believe his eyes. The secret room was like some small library, shelves of books on one side and a table on the other. Upon the walls, though, were shelves upon shelves of reagent bottles, flasks, and vials. They were all filled with different colored liquids, from the brightest red, to the most sickening green, to the murkiest black. As he entered the room, several candles had magically lit on their own.  
  
As Squall gazed around in awe, he walked up to the table. On the table was a single book, bound by old, blue, threadbare cloth. He had this sudden, irresistable urge to open it. As he did, a breeze blew upwards from the book in a cloud of dust.  
  
The pages were empty. All of them. And yet.something wouldn't let him close the ancient book, his hands refusing to move, as if waiting for something.  
  
Suddenly words began to appear. It was as if someone were writing in it, but they were invisible. The invisible quill ran across the paper, writing in light, wispy handwriting:  
  
(It seems that you have finally found me, little brother. Of course, you're not so little now.)  
  
As soon as he read them they disappeared into the paper, waiting for a response. He picked up a quill that lay by the book, though he hadn't seen it there before. He wrote:  
  
(Kyonae?)  
  
The response came back quickly. (No. Not Kyonae. Kyonae is not to be found in this hall. She has been placed in the Corridor of Thunder. I am.I am Princess Katarina, as certainly as you are my dear brother Squall. How are you, my brother? Are you well? I sense that you come to seek advice. You always did. How can I guide you?)  
  
(I need your help, Katarina,) he scribbled speedily, (in understanding just what is going on here. Why does Maika want with Kyonae? Is she okay? How can we stop the Sorceress-)  
  
(Please, please! One at a time, brother! Your mind is a jumble of worries and fears. But most of them, sad to say, are worth being worried about. But I will tell you everything I can. There is little time. Maika took Kyonae from the safety of Edea because of Sanya, her deceased daughter. Kyonae had been inhabited by the small girl's spirit, and wanted to perform an ancient ceremony to arise her daughter from the depths of Kyonae's soul and bring her back to life. But Kyonae knew. She'd known ever since she'd left, ever since she'd taken the sorceress' hand. And she also knew that her own soul may have been taken in the process. So she ran away. Sanya's former nursemaid helped her escape, and was slain for it. Kyonae found the nursemaid's body and brought her to the Secret Temple of Osiria. She brought her back to life, but somehow the Necklace interfered with the ceremony, and.)  
  
The words drifted off meaningfully, and Squall gasped.  
  
(Sa-Shenu? Her Guardian Force?)  
  
(Yes. Indebted to her, Sa-Shenu has stayed by her side as a Guardian Force.)  
  
(I don't understand. There was a Sa-Shenu, a nursemaid, in my vision.when I found out how to get here.)  
  
(I know. You were so close to me, to this spot where my body and shade have resided for six hundred years.I could not let you get away, I could not let you leave me. I, like Kyonae, know the feeling of being alone, forgotten, and left behind, little brother.)  
  
(Katarina.why do you call me brother?)  
  
(.Because you are, my brother. Six hundred years ago, you lived the life of a prince. Now you're alive again, and once again you are trying to save me.or, to be precise.Kyonae.)  
  
(What, you mean reincarnation or something?)  
  
(Why, yes. Well, no. I mean.Kyonae is my descendant. A direct descendant. It all starts with your mother, Raine.she is the reincarnation and descendant of my own mother, Queen Lunora. You are my own brother, Ellone my sister, and the one that is Seifer Almasy.he is the reincarnation of my own sweet Darion.and Sanya.)  
  
Suddenly Squall heard footsteps coming down the secret stairs. Fearing that they were intruders, he turned back to the book and wrote fast and untidy. (Someone's coming! Where is Kyonae?)  
  
(I told you, she's in the east corridor!) Katarina had definitely sensed something too, and her handwriting had scribbled also. (I saw Seifer there.but now he has gone from the corridor, and she's still there! Oh, hurry, Squall! Find her quick! She is dying, slowly, but surely. Maika is draining her of her will. Do not let her perform the ritual! If she does, she will let loose-)  
  
The door burst open behind him, and instinctively he shut the book, tossing it back onto the table as he turned to face the enemies.  
  
But there were no enemies-just sweet, beautiful Rinoa.  
  
She looked around the room and found him standing there by the table, her dark eyes alight with relief and joy. "Squall!"  
  
"Rinoa!" They ran into each other's arms, Squall holding her close to him. Whatever fear he had felt before in the dim, strange room was gone. Nonetheless, he pulled her away from him gently and held her shoulders, staring squarely at her, confusion and anger glimmering faintly in his eyes. "What the hell are you doing here? I told you to stay in Galbadia! Do you know how dangerous it is down here?"  
  
"Well, Squall, I- well."  
  
Squall softened, shaking his head as he hugged her again. "Never mind. I'm just so glad you're okay."  
  
"SQUALLY!" Selphie squealed with joy, jumping in the air. "Found you! What are you doing down here, huh?"  
  
"Squall! What happened?" Laguna came near, looking worried. "We saw signs of some kind of struggle. You okay?"  
  
"By Firaga's fountainous firebreath, Leonhart, you scared the hell out of us! Didn't he, Irvy?" Ember said loudly, slapping the cowboy on the back. She did it with such unknown strength that she accidentally knocked him forwards, stumbling as he tried to regain balance.  
  
"Did you find Kyonae?" Ellone asked, looking up at him.  
  
"Kyonae." he remembered what the dead Princess had said. "Kata- uh, I mean-I found out that she's in the east corridor. Seifer went that way."  
  
Everyone in the room silenced, turning toward the blond gunblader, who turned away as if studying the unreadable labels of the ancient textbooks on the shelves, but his eyes were clearly on the floor.  
  
"She can't be in the East, Squall. Seifer told us he scoured the place and didn't find her." Ellone trailed off, glancing at him.  
  
"Maybe you missed a room. We'll just go back and search together..?" Quistis said uncertaintly.  
  
"No," Seifer quietly murmured, lightly shaking his head.  
  
"Why not, Seifer?"  
  
"Because she doesn't need to be searched for, and she doesn't want to be searched for either."  
  
"Seifer.did you find her or not?"  
  
He sighed, his face full of guilt. "Yeah. I found her."  
  
"Then where the hell is she, Almasy?" Irvine blurted impatiently. "Why didn't you say so back in the hall?"  
  
"Because she doesn't want to be found."  
  
"What in the name of Blossoma's bluebonnets are you talking about?" Eve laughed lightly. " If I were in her position, I would want to get out of here as quick as I possibly could."  
  
"You don't understand. She wants to stay. She wants us to go. Simple as that."  
  
"Oh, come on now, Seifer. She couldn't possibly want to.to stay in this horrid place.she.oh, come on! The only way she could ever want to actually remain in this dungeon of horrors is if she were a sorc- "  
  
Seifer's head rose and nodded lightly. Eve looked at him, positively scandalized. "You mean to say.oh, dear.she's-a.a.how did you."  
  
"She told me, how else?"  
  
"Oh-oh my gracious-I.oh, my, I need to sit down." She sank into a nearby chair, her hand over her heart and her other hand clasped within Raijiin's as he tried to console her.  
  
"Seifer.how? Why? When?" Ellone implored.  
  
"Who, what, where?" Ember added, but her humor was not appreciated at the moment.  
  
"I don't know how, or why.she didn't tell me that," he said. "She said since she was a little girl.and I remember." he glanced half heartedly at his knees.  
  
"Oh, Hyne," Zell said with sudden realization. "Kyonae's that kid who was hangin' out in the tree, throwing apples at everybody? Man."  
  
"That's not important," Squall said abruptly. "It doesn't matter whether she wants to go or not. She's coming with us. Come on guys, we're going back."  
  
Squall rushed for the door, but , to everyone's surprise, Seifer pulled out his Hyperion and pointed it solely at him, blocking the path to the door with the razor sharp blade. Squall instinctively unsheathed the Lionheart, and there they stood for several moments, staring at each other in anger but not hate.  
  
"Seifer? What are you doing? Get-out-of-my-way," he seethed, eyes blazing.  
  
"No. You can't go anywhere near her. She doesn't want to be rescued."  
  
"Seifer, dammit! Stop being an idiot and get the fuck away from the door!"  
  
"No, Squall!"  
  
"Seifer!" Squall roared, raising the gunblade threateningly. "My sister is going to die, do you realize that? She is going to DIE if we don't help her! This is an order from your SeeD captain, Almasy! Now move it!"  
  
The blond stared at him for a moment. Squall paused. The look in his eyes betrayed his seemingly tough look. He was weak, ready to break at any moment. "You don't.understand," Seifer whispered.  
  
"Calm yourselves, both of you," Naomi broke in. "We do not have to make pursuit of Kyonae right away. She is obviously under some sort of spell. If we take down Maika first, maybe Kyonae will come to her senses."  
  
Squall thought for a second, then nodded curtly, sheathing his weapon. Seifer did not put away the Hyperion, but with a familiar sulky look on his face he stepped aside.  
  
As Squall wrapped his hand around the doorknob, there was a sharp, loud electric crackle and Squall flew backward into a sturdy shelf of books, slumping to the floor.  
  
"SQUALL!" Rinoa screamed, running to his side.  
  
"Wow, that is the freakiest case of static shock I've ever seen!" Ember exclaimed, though once again her humor was not acknowledged.  
  
Naomi glanced briefly at the fallen Leonhart, then rose her head up to the ceiling, terror distraught on her face. "Thundaga's throat.she has found us."  
  
Silence swept upon all their tongues as the sound of a raging wind rose and fell in their ears, but forgot to blow. Suddenly every candle in the room went out abruptly, plunging them into utter darkness. Then a cold wind attacked them from all sides, forcing them to huddle together. The floor was dropping away from their feet, and they were suspended in a raging void.they could hear the deep chuckle of Maika's voice, vibrating in the space crackling with energy around them.  
  
"Oh, my!"  
  
"Squall, are you okay?! Speak to me!"  
  
"Holy Hyne! Ember, where are you?!"  
  
"What's happenin', ya know?!"  
  
"This is definitely not cool, man!"  
  
"I'm scared, Zell!"  
  
"Daddy! I can't find you!"  
  
"I'm right here, Ellone, just stay by me.dammit, I wish Kiros and Ward were here."  
  
"Irvine, get your hands off me, please!"  
  
"Sorry, thought you were Ember!"  
  
"Right here, Irvy! You know what I said about not being afraid of anything?! I lied!"  
  
"SEIFER?! RAIJIIN?! WHERE?!"  
  
"What's happening?!"  
  
"She knew we were here all along. She knew. Now she is taking us to the Pinnacle. She wants us to watch the ceremony. We are too late for Kyonae, for ourselves. Keep your courage within your heart and protect it well, my friends, for a time of great evil is upon us. She is back to haunt us all."  
  
  
  
A/N: Well, this is it. The chapter before the big battle atop Dragon's Pinnacle, the huge pedestal cliff in the middle of that lake. Does it have you on the edge of your seat? Probably not. But even if it doesn't, I need your help desperately. I have decided, after long consideration, to *temporarily* kill off one of the characters('temporarily' being the key word). It could be anybody at all, anyone you would like to see die an honorable death. So don't pick someone you hate to die, because you'll see them die bravely. All you have to do is review and vote for one(Fujiin, Raijiin, Seifer, Quistis, Selphie, Squall, Rinoa, Zell, Laguna, Irvine, Ellone, Eve, Ember, Naomi, or even Kyonae) person, or maybe even two. It can be a contest! And remember, it's only temporary, so if you love the character, don't worry. You'll be seeing them again! So get those reviews in, I'll be counting up the votes on Dec. 16 or 17! P.S. Suggestions on what will happen in the battle or who will win it are welcome too! ( 


	21. Kyonae's Secret

A/N: The battle will come next chapter. I got really stuck in this chapter and it's 11:33 PM on a school night and I'm tired, so please bear with me. Kyonae's secret is revealed in this one, though, so it should still be good…Enjoy!!! 

Chapter Twenty One: Kyonae's Secret

Suddenly things were not so dark anymore. Actually, things were rather bright by violent lightning that streaked across the black skies. The mass of huddled people parted, looking aweingly at their strange surroundings. 

"Where…are we?" Selphie cooed softly, still grasping onto the nervewrecked Zell Dincht. "Everything's so…quiet."

"Are anyone else's ears popping? Mine are," Quistis stated, rubbing her ears gingerly.

"Is everyone okay?" Irvine asked. "Holy Hyne…"

"No, everyone's not okay!" Rinoa whimpered. They turned to see her kneeling on the ground, still holding Squall's limp figure in her arms. "I can hear him breathing…but he won't get up!"

Naomi paid no attention to the startled cries of her companions. She stood at the edge of wherever they were, staring downward resignedly at whatever was there.

"Why…what is it, Naomi? Is something wrong?" Eve questioned concernedly.

"Besides the obvious, we mean," added Ember.

The thunder mage sighed, lowering her head sadly so her neat black hair fell over her paler than usual face. Turning away from whatever she was staring at, she gestured half heartedly toward it. Eagerly the entire group walked over to see what the dignified mage had become so depressed over.

Ellone screamed, nearly falling backwards in a faint. They were upon the pedestal-like cliff that stood in the midst of a very angry Lake Drilta—one thousand feet up. The heights made even the hard stomached Quistis quelch with dizziness and fear.

"Oh, my goodness!" cried Eve in despair. "Whatever does this mean?"

Naomi's voice spoke in a grave tone behind them. "We are atop the Dragon's Pinnacle. She has transported us all here. There is no other way down except for magical transport from the one who summoned us here. There is nothing to do now except wait…for her to arrive."

"To hell with that!" Zell blurted angrily, stretching out his knuckle-gloved palms. "I'll just blast a hole through this thing to the ground! Ifrit, I summon you!"

"Yeah! Quezacoatl, I summon you!" Selphie cried in relief, doing the same thing.

"Siren!"

"Bahamut!"

"Eden!"

"No, no, no! Stop! Do you not realize where we are? This is sacred Dratilian ground! The Four Dragons that guard this city's very gate have touched this soil with their claws. No mortal has ever been allowed atop this dragon's perch without consent from the godesses! Now that we have been summoned, there is no escape from this place until Maika's deed is done! Not even the Guardian Forces can help us against her!"

Zell quivered under the steady, wrathful tone of the wise thunder mage. Though her voice was full of anger, her bright yellow eyes were full of uncharacteristic fear.

Suddenly, a quiet voice made itself known behind them. They turned to see a thin, frail figure wavering in the wind, covered by a pale blue cloak. She looked as if she could barely find the strength to stand. Two pupiless pools of bluegray color stared as if dead from her gaunt, pale face, stirring slightly in confusion.

"What…what are you doing here?" she said softly, seeming she could faint dead at any moment. "Why are you here…?"

"Oh, my god," Irvine breathed disbelievingly.

"Kyonae, listen! We're here to help you." Laguna pleaded, taking a step forward.

"Help…? No one can save me now. I am condemned, Father. And besides…I…am not wanted…or needed among you." She cast a glance towards Seifer, not with anger or blame but as if confirming a fact. Seifer looked desperately away.

"Where…is…Squall?"

Rinoa still sat on the soil, attempting to wake the unconscious gunblader. Kyonae studied her brother's figure closely, as if he were a photo she was trying to remember. She gave them all that look. 

"I warned you all to run from this place while you could, but you…didn't listen. Now…you have to watch."

Suddenly her fragile body jerked once, as if stricken by the lightning that flashed so brightly and constantly overhead. She remained standing, but her head hung limp from her shoulders like she had fallen asleep. 

"Kyonae…?!"

The dark figure of Maika appeared before them, amber eyes glinting dangerously. A rising gesture of her cloaked hand and another figure appeared alongside her, wrapped in black cloth and face blocked from view. The figure's shape was ugly, humped, and misshapen.

"Ah, so we meet again," Maika claimed to Seifer, as if this were a casual outing on which they just happened to bump into one another. "And this time you have friends with you. Splendid. I love an audience…"

"Whad'ya do to Kyonae, you hag?!" Irvine shouted, taking a step forward. Maika's eyes glowed slightly. His face of confidence and anger immediately turned to a look of pain as he cried out, holding his head and backing away.

"Do not trifle with me, cowboy. Or any of you, for that matter. I do not come to fight you. There will be time for that later. But to answer your question…I have put her under a very deep spell that has her under my complete control whenever I will it. Clever, yes? The tears will remain there until I release her entire from my grasp…which I will not do until I am through with her."

"Then what will happen?" Zell murmured.

"Why…I don't know. Let's find out, hmm?"

She drew her attention to the hypnotized Kyonae, beginning to chant softly. 

_Leviso magna morpheum, de un lu morphi inta_

Leviso magna morpheum, de un lu hidum inta

Lau ka quin slumbre distan tu kai

Leviso,ka , kinte nu taka u mai…!

"What is she saying, Naomi?" Quistis asked. 

Naomi looked on at the chanting sorceress in silent terror, barely able to open her lips to answer. "She's chanting a resurrection spell…she's saying…"

__

Arise, great sleeper, the one who dreams within

Arise, great sleeper, the one who hides within

Your soul has slumbered far too long

Arise, soul, grace us with your song…

"WHAT…?" Fujin drifted off in confusion. 

The wind was blowing hard and cold around them, a cold that chilled not their skin but their very souls. The thunder rumbled warningly. Naomi replied in the same somber tone, "It is ancient Dratilian. A spell for resurrection. She's awakening her daughter Sanya from the dead…"

"But that isn't Sanya, Naomi. That's Kyonae…" Selphie pointed out, then stopped herself with a gasp when she suddenly realized…

Sanya was in Kyonae.

Seifer stared onward at the ritual, forcing himself to watch what was taking place. His heart was tearing itself in half with rage, screaming at him to do something. But everytime he attempted to step forward, his conscience buzzed silently in his ears, almost mockingly…

__

Leave her. She wants to face this alone. Let her be.

The black-cloaked figure raised an arm; the hand was bony, ashen and tattered with decaying flesh, as if it were the very hand of death. A black apparition conjured from the figure's fingertips, forming the shape of a clawed hand. A gnarled, twisted, horrifying three clawed hand that wrapped its disgusting black form around Kyonae, constricting around her throat and chest as Maika continued to chant. It lifted Kyonae several feet from the ground, clutching at her still form so tightly that somehow it's cloudlike form cut through the pale blue cloak, the sleeves of her shirt and the skin under it, as if trying to get at something that laid within. Kyonae hung limply from its grip, not a mumble of protest crossing her frozen blue lips. 

Then, the claw released the sorceress, though she still remained in the air. It held within its palm a dark, blood red light that shone dully through its gnarled fingers.

All of them suddenly held their heads in pain, screaming with inexplicable agony at the pain that coursed through them with the same pulsing beat that the light had. "ARRRRGHH! WHAT IS HAPPENING…?!" Laguna screamed. 

Slowly the apparition returned to the twisted figure, where it quickly plunged itself and the light back into the death hand that had bore it. The thing in the cloak was suddenly bathed in the red light, as it swarmed over it and blocked the figure from view, spinning around it like a red tornado… Kyonae spun rapidly in the air as well, her long legs and fragile arms bound tightly to her as if by some invisible rope…

"Fithos…lusec…wecos…vinosec…Leviso, ka…Leviso, ka…LEVISO, KA!" Maika ended the chant in a shout, bringing down her hands abruptly.

Everything came to a halt. Even the wind lost its luster at Maika's words. Kyonae stopped spinning, and spread-eagled before falling to the dry ground with a hard thud, writhing.

Squall laid on the ground encircled in Rinoa's arms, eyes wide open in shock. He had seen the whole ritual, had felt the searing pain run through him when the the red light had been drawn from Kyonae and into the twisted figure's body. 

"Squall, you're okay!" Rinoa gasped, seeing he was awake.

He stared at her, scared. "Rinoa…what _was_ that _thing?"_

"I—I don't know, Squall."

Seifer watched as Kyonae writhed in the dirt, taking the trait of a wounded, suffering animal. She struggled to get up, but all she could manage was to sit on her knees, wrapping her arms around herself with her head resting on her lap, as if feeling the loss of the red light. Or was it fear?

"Get up, Kyonae," a woman's voice ordered from underneath the hood of the black cloak.

This turned their attention back to the twisted figure. But the mysterious person was no longer short and misshapen, but tall and straight. Two youthful looking, knuckle gloved hands hung out of the sleeves.

Kyonae did not answer, did not react.

"Get _up_, Kyonae." The command came again, but sharper and impatient. "At least look up at me if you have the gall."

Kyonae slowly rose her head to face the cloaked woman, squinting with hazy, confused eyes into the hood. The woman threw back her cloak, letting it fall to the ground in a crumpled black heap.

"Thundaga's talons…" Naomi gasped.

"What the HELL!" Zell cried.

Seifer could only stare.

Kyonae gave a short, fearful cry at the woman who stood before her, and for good reason.

"Sanya…"

The resurrected daughter rose her head to the sky and laughed an uproarious laugh in spite of the ice sorceress' fear. She looked exactly like Kyonae, a perfect mirror image. But she was different. Her hair was jet black, matching the color of her smirking lips. Her eyes were shocking yellow, but her eyelids were dark. Her shirt was black, her pants were black, the shin length boots she wore were black. Even the identical scar she bore on her forehead was as if it were a smear of tar across her face. 

"What's the matter, Kyonae? Can't get up? Here, let me help you…" 

Sanya rose her hand, and Kyonae abruptly rose with it. She forced herself to stand.

Maika rushed near, arm wide open to embrace Sanya. "My child…my little girl…" Joy and hoped gleamed in the sorceress' amber eyes, with a love no one could comprehend.

But Sanya glared at her with sly distaste. "Where's the fire, _Mother?_" Stretching out her palm, she shouted, "FIRA!"

A sphere of red-yellow flame burst from her hand, hurtling into thunder sorceress and knocking her backward to the ground, unconcsious.

Kyonae gasped, her head turning to the fallen woman in shock, surprised that Sanya would do that to Maika. A look of sudden realization crossed her face as she slowly faced her again. "…You're not Sanya…"

"Well, of course I'm not," she said casually. "At least, not the one _she_ knows. But at least I know who I am. Who are you?"

"I…I'm…"

"Oh, let's talk about that later, hmm? Your…ahem…'friends'…seem rather confused. Let us fill them in on our little secret, shall we?"

"No…don't…!" Kyonae cried softly, but Sanya had already pushed past her.

"I suppose Kyonae's been hiding her secrets pretty well, hasn't she?" she asked all of them cheerily, a dripping tone of cruelty in her satin voice. " She's a sorceress, yes, all of you know that by now. Of course, they do seem to be just popping up everywhere, am I right Rinoa?"

Rinoa bit her lip nervously at the remark, remembering her own sorceress powers.

"And thanks to you, Leonhart, sneaking around and looking in Katarina's journal, you also know…"

"Katarina is Kyonae from the past," Squall cut in placidly. "Darion is Seifer's predecessor, Queen Lunora was my mother Raine and Ellone and I are her siblings. I don't know what the fuck you are, but you better tell us quick or—"

"Or _what_, SeeD? You'll kill me? Hahahahahaha," she laughed at his stupidity. "Nonetheless, I couldn't have put it in better words. All of which you said is true. But it is not enough to know this alone. You must hear the story first. Wouldn't you like to tell it, Kyonae? You always tell such wonderful stories…" She said this in a sickly sweet tone.

Kyonae shook her head negatively, backing away with a scared, pleading look. "No! Please don't make me tell them…!" she wailed.

"Tell them, I command you!" 

Sanya rose her hand, and Kyonae cried in pain. The gemlike tears imbedded in her cheeks glowed brightly for only a second, but it obviously caused her so much pain that she relented.

"All right…please…" she sank down onto her knees.

A tear slipped down Seifer's cheek to see her. But she had told him not to interfere.

Kyonae began the 'story', burning in visible shame but afraid of suffering the torture again. " Dratilia was the most powerful kingdom in all the lands of all the continents. Only Osiria came close to matching its power. The only thing that kept Osiria from exceeding to true greatness was the Silver Falcon Pendant, owned by Princess Katarina Falcona of the Dratilian Royal Family. It had the power to summon four dragons of the four elements of the ancient magic: thunder, flower, fire, and ice. With this power Katarina could do anything. She could defend the kingdom from enemies, destroy other kingdoms, even take over the entire planet. She could even drink a drop of each dragon's blood and become immortal like them."

"But did she do any of this?" Sanya interrogated fiercely, circling around her like a stalking leopard.

"No. She feared the gift would become a curse and make her foolish and powerhungry. She never used it. She wore it on her neck always, for no matter what its power it was a gift from her mother Lunora."

"But someone _did_ want the power, didn't they?"

"Yes. King Solarus of Osiria wanted the pendant more than anything in his life. But Katarina wouldn't give it to him because she knew he would use it for his own selfish purposes. Solarus was a dumb, drunk, panicky man who didn't understand the ways of—"

"Yes,yes,yes, we know," Sanya said impatiently. "Get to the good part. _You know the one I'm talking about._"

Kyonae nodded sadly. "…King Solarus, on the advice of his vizier, sent his own son in the dress of a common knight to Dratilia to charm the princess and steal the pendant."

"_And what was his name_?" Sanya asked giddily, leaning backward towards Kyonae with a hand cupped around her ear.

"Darion…Darion Almasy of the Osirian Royal Family…" she said painfully.

Seifer gasped, his jaw hanging open in shock. "Kyonae…"

"Ah ah ah, let her finish," she taunted him. "Go ahead, Kyonae."

"…He went on his father's order, with the best intentions of bringing back the pendant even if he had to cut off the Princess' neck. But…something happened…"

"What, exactly?"

"Darion fell in love with Katarina the first moment he laid eyes upon her. And she him…very much."

"Ah, how sweet…go on."

"Darion would do anything now to keep his father away from the pendant. Every night they would meet in the secret archive at the end of the Corridor of Ice. Katarina had already been studying there secretly to be an ice mage. They were making a false pendant to fool his father. Darion was confident that his father would never dare to use it, too scared of the magic within. It was just a shiny piece of jewelry he wanted to own. And Solarus, for a while, was fooled. Darion left Katarina with a vow to return to her no matter what."

"But she never saw him again, did she Kyonae?"

She gulped, her voice cracking. " No. Someone informed the king that the pendant was false, and claimed that Darion had the real one in hopes of overthrowing him and taking the throne. The person convinced him that Darion should be executed right away. This person had him under their thumb, under their complete control. So Solarus gave this person permission to kill him, which that person did mercilessly, and publicly. A day after, this person bestowed upon Katarina Darion's head and a flask of his blood as a 'sympathy' gift." As she spoke, Kyonae's tone became more and more sour against Sanya, who merely smiled.

"Who was this person you speak of, Kyonae? We're all dying to know."

Kyonae glared at her darkly. "Why, none other but his own sister…you. Princess Sanya Almasy of the Osirian Family, no less."

Even Naomi had a look of shock on her face. Seifer stared disbelievingly at the Kyonae duplicate. No…this could not be…

"Yes, I remember now…my sweet innocent brother…" She approached him, smiling evilly. "Did you ever wonder why you were so compatible with fire spells? Surprise, surprise."

The handsome blond felt sick to his stomach. "I'm your brother…?!"

"Oh, yes Almasy, true siblings we are, in past and present. Through your veins, at this very moment, pumps the rich, royal blood of the greatest Osirian family ever known in the history of man…" her eyes gleamed with memories of the past, but darkened abruptly. "Then you fell for a low class, scummy Dratilian bitch princess like Katarina and everything was ruined! All hope for Osiria's domination of the planet was lost! How history repeats itself…but then, someone showed me something much more…appealing.

"She was a sorceress, disguised as my father's vizier. She's the one who helped me control every move he made. She claimed she came from the farthest future I could imagine and beyond. She showed me glimpses of what the future could be like if I suceeded. She showed me how I could stand by her side as she—as we—controlled time and space itself. She called it time compression, when the past, present and future were all combined in one single world. And all she needed was pendant to make herself and I immortal, to take over this world first. There was no need to destroy the cities yet. No one could stand against us.

So I killed Darion, and brought his head to Katarina. As I knew she would, she drew her broadsword and challenged me to battle to avenge him right then and there. We fought. Remember, Kyonae? Can you still hear them? The drums pounding at your ears and your heart racing in your chest? Can you still look back on your far past?"

"Yes."

"And what a grueling battle it was. I had had no idea she'd been practicing the art of combat. I thought I had the advantage. But you surprised me, you did. Then I saw the pendant on your neck. I tried to grab for it. Even I think it was a foolish decision. As I grabbed it, as I felt it in my fingers, you killed me. Stabbed me clean through. My life in that time was over.

"Then I was born again. Into a little girl's body, named Sanya. To a loving, kind mother named Maika who lived in Osiria. The girl was already at least five, with a will and a soul of her own. So my spirit was set aside in her impressionable little mind. I was an only child; for Maika had given up her first born son to the orphanage in Centra…"

Seifer felt ready to vomit with each word. Knowing this, Sanya went on. " There was a nursemaid there, too…Sa-Shenu. Sanya…the little Sanya…called her 'Birdie'. They loved each other. But one day Sa-Shenu looked into the girl's eye's and saw me, and recognized me as I did her. It was the very same nurse that took care of the Dratilian family's younger children in my other life! Sa-Shenu told the little girl of this but did not tell Maika. She conjured up a potion, a poison really, that was supposed to kill me but do no harm to the girl. Well, it got rid of me for sure, but it proved to be too strong. The girl died days later. Maika, driven mad by the loss of another child, relented to the powers of sorcery. She never found out about the poison.

My invisible spirit drifted upon the wind, eagerly searching for my mistress, the only one who could make me whole again. When I saw…you, Kyonae. On the dirt roads, spattered with mud and the like. You were running from something, would you mind telling us what?"

"…Orphan collectors," she muttered somberly. "Someone had become suspicious of my sorceress powers in my last orphanage, and the collectors came to take me to another one…but I didn't want to…not again…"

"So, she being the nearest human being I could find, I possessed her. Oh, she never knew. I was quiet, stayed in the back of her mind. The collectors finally caught her and brought her to Edea's, where she met Seifer, my former host's brother. She took quite a liking to you, brother. Her first real friend...ever."

Kyonae hung her head guiltily, as if she could feel Seifer's eyes upon her.

"But she didn't stay long, not even long enough to meet her brother Squall, seperated from their first breath because she was born a sorceress. Maika came again, clad in black and so much different from before. She saw me right away in Kyonae and mistook me for her little girl. I often tend to take the physical and spiritual appearance of my hosts, which explains why I am a mirror image of our little friend. Now a sorceress, she could see things she couldn't see before…even me.

"She took Kyonae home at first glance, already planning what to do with the little one, trying to gain her trust over those six long years. I met Sa-Shenu _again, _and she saw me _again_," Sanya said this with an annoyed tone. "But this time, she didn't try to stop me. She was too scared of killing another girl. And besides, what could I do? I was helpless without my mistress' power to guide me.

Maika tried to perform the ritual to unleash me, but oh, Kyonae was _so_ much smarter than I had credited her for. She had known right away. She begged Sa-Shenu for her help. The nurse helped her escape, and because of it…Maika killed her. Virtually tore the poor 'birdie' limb from limb and left her in the woods. Maika wasn't smart enough to notice the true me, but she did have a quick temper. But Kyonae decided to be a heroic. She took Sa-Shenu's mangled body to an Osirian temple that laid forgotten in the forests near Trabia. She was going to bring her back to life. So what? Big deal I thought.

But as she chanted the cryptic spells, bending over the resurrection table, I saw something gleam on her neck…the Silver Falcon! It interfered with the spell, and there was a huge flash of light.

" I was temporarily seperated from her body, floating in the brightness, when I saw who else but Katarina in her shade form, staring at me. 'Do not hurt this child, or I will bring you down again,' she threatened. When the light faded, I was back inside my prison in Kyonaes mind and Katarina was gone. On the table laid the still white form of a young falcon. She'd changed Sa-Shenu into a Guardian Force! Kyonae had heard Katarina's voice during the explosion of light, and when Sa-Shenu told her everything she changed her name from Kyonae Leonhart to Kyonae Falcona.

"They traveled about the Trabia Mountains for three years, training. Kyonae even got herself a gunblade. It was if she somehow knew that she would have to face the enemy of her ancestor one day. When she was fifteen, she joined the Trabia Garden in a quest to be a SeeD. She was the best in her field. Pride of Trabia's gunbladers, prodigy of battle strategies, bravest of heart, loyal to every friend she had. Tuh…hard to believe that now," she added, looking down on Kyonae's pitful figure. "Then there was the incident. Oh, I remember all too well. Everything was completely wrecked. Mass destruction…death everywhere…emotions running high…I loved it. But Kyonae didn't. As soon as she was able they sent her to the mental clinic. The incident had jarred her so badly that sometimes she couldn't even remember her own name. She was beginning to get better…until my mistress found me.

Kyonae was weak, so my Mistress had no trouble finding me. She still wanted me to rule alongside her. She told me, though, to stay put—it was not safe yet. She entered Kyonae's mind to hide while she switched from sorceress to sorceress. Then, when she was defeated by SeeD-" she spat out the word as if it were a vulgar profanity. "She did not die. She could not die. She was as close as you could get to being immortal without actually being it. And she had me to help her."

"And through this entire thing, you've been waiting for Maika to ressurect you, so you could ressurect your…mistress," Quistis reviewed, not daring enough to say the sorceress' name.

"Right you are, my dear instructor. And tonight is the night that all shall bow to the mighty Sorceress."

"But where is she?" Seifer asked, nervous of the evil witch that had controlled him.

Sanya looked at Seifer, glad that someone had asked the question. Her neon yellow eyes glimmered in the lightning. "Why, that's what I've been trying to tell you the entire time…"

"No, please don't…" Kyonae pleaded dully.

"Why, it's what her secret's all about…"

"No!!!"

Sanya grabbed Kyonae by her hair and forced her upward, and the ice sorceress cried out softly in pain. She placed a long, black nailed fingertip onto Kyonae's temple, smiling with such evil and coldness that had never been seen before.

"Sorceress Ultimecia awaits her ressurection…inside the mind of Kyonae Falcona." 

A/N: Sorry about the chant I made up in 'Dratilian' language. It's mostly mumbo jumbo mixed with badly written Latin with some equally badly written Greek. P.S. I've decided to just forget the stupid contest because only Kayna had the gall to tell me what she wanted. The reason I wanted to kill someone off is because it relates to something later in the story. R/R, pleaz! Thanx! J 


End file.
